Forensic Frenzy student workshop (New South Wales)

Information for teachers about the Forensic Frenzy hands-on lab for students in Years 6 - 10, including booking details.

• 12 August 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Description
• Details

Description

Forensic Frenzy is a hands-on workshop in which students assume the role of forensic scientists to solve a crime. Two scenarios can be chosen – The Kidnap and Ransom of Nathan Bloom, or Blackmail and Robbery at the Nomel Estate. Students are supplied with the police report which describes the crime that has been committed including photographs and details of the four suspects. On the day, students work through 15 different activities in groups of three. By the end of the workshop students will have collected a variety of different clues and had a chance to try out techniques used by forensic scientists.

At the close of the workshop, the teacher will be provided with a complete list of all the evidence/clues that were possible to identify, and a suggested scenario of the events that may have occurred. This is a great opportunity to emphasise the importance of group work and problem solving, and how it is used in real life situations.

During the workshop students will use forensic techniques to examine evidence including:

• chromatography of inks
• identification of blood stains, fabric, soil and hair fibres 
• comparison of suspects’ DNA profile with those taken from the scene
• facial identification and reconstruction and dental records
• ballistics, footprints and fingerprints
• comparison of handwriting samples, oil stains, type faces and stamp marks
• treating samples to detect the presence of hidden evidence.

Details

This program is appropriate for Years 6 - 10 with 30 students per session as a maximum. Each session lasts for 90 minutes and costs a minimum of A$8.00 per student and A$200 per session. Most sessions are GST free. The minimum cost per presenter per day is A$400.

We require a room with 15 tables arranged around the edges of the room, with three power points and a sink with running water close by (preferably in the room).

There must be space for 30 students to sit; a laboratory is ideal but not essential.

Please allow for a set up time of 40 minutes and a pack up time of 40 minutes.

Find out about other programs run by the NSW Science Education Centre.