Forensic Course Crime Scene Investigation Unit

This week, this year's two sections of the Forensics Science course have begun their Crime Scene Investigation activity. In this activity teams of from four to five students have to document and record a crime scene set up in their classroom.

The students are responsible for logging all evidence, precisely measuring the locations of the evidence and photographing the over all scene and each piece of evidence. When they log the evidence, they are required to determine how they would like the Forensic Lab to analyze/evaluate the evidence. The part of the criminologist's job that they will not undertake is the actual collection and packaging of the evidence.

As the course proceeds they will learn about and practice numerous protocols involved with evidence analysis.

Zixi and Ashley take measurements to precisely locate a piece of evidence. Griff records the measurements taken into their Evidence location log. Each piece of evidence must be located by measurements from two axes in the room. In this case Zixi and Ashley are taking the measurement from the East wall of the room. Their second measurement will be from the North wall of the room.

Zixi, Ashley and Griff taking evidence location measurements.

Ashley and Zixi measure the exact location of the fallen chair, which is indicated by the evidence marker C.

Members of a different Investigative Team, Catherine and Michelle are taking measurements for the location of the bag of white powder indicated by evidence marker 1A.

Spencer and Andrew stop to discuss what the evidence might indicate about wht occurred at this crime scene.

Part of the process requires the student teams to make a rough sketch of the crime scene and complete an evidence disposition log. The evidence disposition log identifies each piece of evidence and the type of analysis the team would like of that evidence.

The clipboard on the left contains the evidence photolog, which includes a description of each piece of evidence that was photographed. The students will digitize this log and the description will include a "hyperlink" to its photograph. The clipboard on the right contains the Evidence Location Measurements.

Tape measures and Evidence Marker Cards