This project idea comes to you from Future SET in St. John's, Newfoundland. |
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This project is a compilation of six possible experiments, which together form a crime scene. Included in this project are the descriptions of four suspects and four victims. If you follow this online project, you will learn about forensic science, and you will be able to solve a mini-mystery.
This project can also be set up with a large group
of students who can collectively learn about forensics and solve the mystery
on a larger scale. You can pretend you're helping to solve a murder for the
police, or maybe you're recreating a famous murder. You can do all six of
the possible experiments described here, or only a few of them, or other
forensics experiments you can think of on your own. If you want to set up
this mystery yourself, you will have to tailor the evidence to your
particular murder scenario so that you can figure out the identities of the
victim and the murderer based on the evidence you provide. Use your
imagination!
Before the investigation begins, you need to understand the following definitions that are important in forensic science:
Let the investigation begin!
Imagine a crime scene. What do forensic scientists do to preserve all the evidence? As they approach the crime scene, they follow proper forensic procedures. Some to keep in mind are:
The evidence found at this crime scene includes:
Now we will analyse the evidence.
Name: | Ralph Costello |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 164 cm |
Date of Birth: | April 2, 1973 |
Hair Colour: | Light Brown |
Blood Type: | AB+ |
Last seen: | Computer lab, Engineering Building, Memorial University of Newfoundland (June 4, 1997) |
Special Characteristics: |
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Name: | Herb Mercer |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 152 cm |
Date of Birth: | March 11, 1941 |
Hair Colour: | Grey |
Blood Type: | O- |
Last seen: | relaxing at home watching "Bill Nye the Science Guy" (May 30, 1997) |
Special Characteristics: |
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Name: | Jane Barker |
Gender: | Female |
Height: | 164 cm |
Date of Birth: | July 4, 1976 |
Hair Colour: | Blonde |
Blood Type: | AB+ |
Last seen: | serving Pizza at the Engineering Building cafeteria, Memorial University of Newfoundland (March 7, 1997) |
Special Characteristics: |
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Name: | Mary Maloney |
Gender: | Female |
Height: | 170 cm |
Date of Birth: | January 12, 1974 |
Hair Colour: | Brown |
Blood Type: | O- |
Last seen: | leaving Hatcher House, Memorial University of Newfoundland (May 27, 1997) |
Special Characteristics: |
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Their bones will tell us their height and their gender. The figure below shows you how to look at a skull and determine whether it comes from a male or a female.
Now look at this picture of a human skull. Is it male or female?
Now we want to confirm the sex of the victim. The figure below shows you how to look at the sciatic notch in the pelvis and determine whether it comes from a male or a female.
Now look at this picture of a human pelvis. Is it male or female? Does it confirm your prediction about the gender of the victim?
Now that we've narrowed down to one gender, we can look at the femur bone to help us determine height. Look at this picture of a human femur.
It shows that the femur is 41 cm long. If you think the victim is female, use the following formula to determine the approximate height:
2.47 x Length of Femur + 54.10 ± 3.70 = ______ ± 3.70 cm
If you think the victim is male, use the following formula to determine the approximate height:
2.32 x Length of Femur + 65.53 ± 3.94 = ______ ± 3.94 cm
From these three pieces of information, you should be able to determine which of the four possibilities was the victim of this crime.
If you guessed Ralph Costello, you're right!
Now that the victim has been identified, we need to figure out which of the suspects is the murderer. Click here to continue.
Physics | Chemistry | Biology | Engineering | Computer Science | Understanding Science and Technology