Badge: Science Center X

Presenting examples of physical evidence allows you to go into depth on each type. This badge program explores what you might present. Be sure any you choose aligns with your scenarios / scenes.

Steps

Physical Evidence

1. Fingers.

Fingerprints are a combination of loops, whorls, and arches. No two people have the same patterns. Learn how to make good fingerprint patterns. Use full and partial prints for comparison. Discuss how someone can avoid leaving behind fingerprints. Try dusting and lifting prints. What other ways can you use prints in your exhibit?

NOTE: While it may not be feasible to set up an airtight chamber so you can make super glue into a gas to get fingerprints off items like garbage bags, showing the process via a video can be very informative for your would-be detectives.

2. Feet.

Anything on your feet can leave an impression. The size of a print may allow you to determine if someone is male or female. You may be able to discern the tread pattern of the shoe. You might also be able to use the “wear pattern” to determine how a person walks. Proving plaster impressions an allow your visitors to observe various imprints.

3. Tire.

Tires leave impressions just like feet. Items that can be determined include the make and model of a car. Detectives use plaster to make impressions so they can retain the evidence. You may have plaster impressions available for comparison like in the step above. You may also create a faux print so your visitors can take their own impressions.

4. Trace.

Trace evidence is small evidence that can link a suspect to a crime. It is carried on a person unknowingly. This might include:

Hairs (people and animals)
Fibers
Paint
Plants (seeds, leaves, etc.)
Rocks, stones, and gravel

You can collect samples and compare them as part of your exhibit. You will need a microscope or enlarged images of your trace evidence to allow for comparison. What else might you include to support trace evidence?

5. DNA.

Like fingerprints, DNA is another way to identify people. DNA can determine who has been at a crime scene. For an experiment, you can extract DNA from cheek cells. Provide a way to compare DNA. Explore other ways to incorporate DNA into your Science Center.

6. Blood.

Not only do experts look at the blood stain and splatter patterns, they work to recreate them as part of solving crime. It is preferable to “make” blood for any exercises as even animal’s blood can carry disease. Recreate the following blood patterns and explain why they occur, then provide a scene and see what your visitors can extrapolate from the splatter.

Low velocity patterns
Medium velocity patterns
High velocity patterns
Angular drops
Blood into blood
Swipe patterns

7. Bones.

Also known as forensic anthropology, the study of bones can show the race, age, and sex of a human body or remains. Medical and dental records are also used to help identify a body. Try an experiment with matching bite marks using styrofoam plates or soft candies. Compare your marks with another’s. You can show how to tell the basics of a victim plus items that help identify more like breaks, pins, and plates.

8. Body.

Using the body for evidence is pathology. A pathologist is a doctor who conducts autopsies. You might be able to dissect an animal to see it on the inside, see a video of it being done, or get short clips from actual autopsies. Be aware of the ages of your visitors as some of them may find looking at dead bodies disturbing.

For younger visitors ask volunteers to act out a scene and have your visitors describe the people in it including hair color, jaw shape, and other physical characteristics. When they’re done, take the criteria they establish and see how many people at each stage fit that item. For example, if someone says brown hair, everyone in the group with brown hair is a suspect. Continue narrowing it down so they can see how matching works to solve the crime.

9. Bugs.

Using bugs as part of your detective skills is entomology. Using insect life cycles, investigators can determine the time of death. To simulate this, use a stuffed animal for the victim and cards with pictures of the insects in their different stages on them. The cards can also be used to explain the different stages blowflies and beetles go through and how the stage they are helps determine a timeline.

10. Toxicology.

Examining drugs, poisons, and other items in a body can help determine cause. A toxicologist needs to know the harmful effects of these items. One way to show this is to test antifreeze against common drinks to determine the pH and identify the poison. Explore different ways you can show toxicology to your visitors.

11. Documents.

Whether it’s fraud, forgery, or even a ransom note, detectives determine whether a document is authentic or not. It includes analyzing handwriting to make sure it matches a sample and even testing the inks (chromatography) may yield information. To show this, you can create items yourself to compare signatures only, full letters, and more. See “Science Center X: Color” for a bit on chromatography.

12. Tools.

The marks left by a tool or a bullet can help match remaining items with the tool. You might create a matching game so the marks can be compared to tools on hand such as a hammer, crowbar, etc. Can your visitors identify the items from the marks they leave behind?

13. Forensically (beta).

29a.ch/photo-forensics/#forensic-magnifier

This online software is a set of free tools for digital image forensics. It allows you to determine if a digital image has been altered. Check out the tutorial for information on this software as well as information on different ways images can be manipulated.

14. More.

Look through the other Science Center X for items that might be incorporated with this badge program or search online to build an even better detective Science Center.

Badge and Supplement Files

Member Level

0EP_B_BPG_SCX_Detect_II_2in_12up_MS1_larajla — generic badge printable
0EP_BLIST_SCX_Detect_II_MS1_larajla — badge items per membership level
0EP_BSET0_SCX_Detect_II_MS1_larajla — badge set and related badges
0EP_SUPP0_SCX_Detect_II_Journal_MS1_larajla — badge journal
0EP_SUPP0_SCX_Detect_II_Planner_MS1_larajla — badge planner
0EP_SUPPL_SCX_Detect_II_MS1_larajla — supplements currently available per membership level

Supplement Fun

All SCX Badges

SUPP_Form Fun_STEM Holiday Brainstorm_MS2_larajla — Form Fun: STEM holiday brainstorm sheet for ideas
SUPP_List Fun_STEM Holiday_All_MS2_larajla — List Fun: STEM holidays list for all Science Centers
SUPP_Instruct Fun_Flash Cards_MS2_larajla — Instruct Fun: Use printable cards as flash cards
SUPP_Instruct Fun_Match Cards_MS2_larajla — Instruct Fun: Use printable cards for match / concentration game
SUPP_Instruct Fun_STEM Holidays_MS2_larajla — Instruct Fun: Why STEM Holidays?
SUPP_STEM Fun_Exhibit Planner_MS2_larajla — STEM Fun: Event pre-planning and exhibit testing questions
SUPP_STEM Fun_Scientific Inquiry 1_MS2_larajla — STEM Fun: Signs to direct scientific inquiry
SUPP_STEM Fun_Scientific Inquiry 2_MS2_larajla — STEM Fun: Signs to direct scientific inquiry

SCX: Detective

SUPP_Form Fun_SCXD_Remember_MS2_larajla — Form Fun: What do you remember?
SUPP_List Fun_SCX_Forensics_MS2_larajla — List Fun: Shows that feature forensics / investigations
SUPP_List Fun_STEM Holiday_Detective_MS2_larajla — List Fun: STEM holidays with detective theme
SUPP_List Fun_Words_Detective_MS2_larajla — List Fun: Word list for detectives
SUPP_Printable_MB_Fingerprints_MS2_larajla — Printable: Fingerprinting minibook
SUPP_Puzzle Fun_SCR_Detect It_MS2_larajla — Puzzle Fun: Detect It Scramble
SUPP_Puzzle Fun_WF_Detect It_MS2_larajla — Puzzle Fun: Detect It Word Find
SUPP_Puzzle Fun_WORD_SCX_Detective_MS2_larajla — Puzzle Fun: Make words from SCX Detective

Sites to Explore

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Detective II

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Badge: Science Center X – Detective II

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