Students Learning Clues to Forensic Science
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 26, 2005
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 25 (AP) - Using tweezers to pick up bits of string and cotton swabs to collect samples of a mysterious red liquid, seventh and eighth graders are trying to figure out what happened to Felix Navidad.
Was the fictitious Mr. Navidad killed by jealous friends at a party? There is no corpse at the crime scene, so was there even a crime? The 19 students will find out by analyzing fingerprints, fluids and other evidence in a weeklong summer camp at the American Museum of Science and Energy here.
They are among the hundreds of students attending camps across the nation this summer to learn more about forensic science.
Inspired by the popularity of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and its spinoffs, universities, museums and other organizations are offering workshops and classes to teach children about the science of sleuthing.
Alyssa McCartt, a seventh grader at the camp here, said she enjoyed "CSI" and wanted to make forensic science her career.
"I watch it while eating dinner, and I don't get sick," she said.
The National Science Teachers Association and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences have reported a surge in interest among students, and many schools now include some aspects of forensics in science curriculums.
"They are intrigued by that whodunit type of experience, and we're thrilled it provides a good avenue for students to learn science and learn how science is used in the everyday world," said Cindy Workosky, a spokeswoman for the science teachers association, based in Arlington, Va.
The students at "CSI: A.M.S.E." in Oak Ridge studied a mock crime scene surrounded by yellow caution tape and strewn with empty soda cans, sunglasses, an alarm clock, a half-full ice tray and footprints.
They put on latex gloves and collected the evidence, carefully placing each item in a separate plastic bag and labeling it.
Many camps are geared toward middle school and high school students. But a forensics camp in Knoxville, Tenn., last year for students ages 9 to 11 was so popular that the organization decided to try a three-day camp for 6- to 8-year-olds this year.
Even students like 8-year-old Sarah Wharton, who said she learned about detectives by watching "Scooby-Doo" cartoons, understand some concepts of forensics.
While discussing hair samples, Sarah said, "You can scan the hair and figure out whose hair it is."
Some camps try to offer students a more realistic glimpse at investigations by tapping into law enforcement sources. A camp planned for August by the South Burlington, Vt., recreation and police departments will include field trips to a laboratory. An overnight camp at Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania next month for high school students is to have a demonstration by a bomb and arson unit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences has sponsored conferences for middle school and high school teachers since 2002 to show them how to present forensic techniques in an accurate way because the television portrayal is not always the way it is done in reality.
But some camp organizers create their own cases, trying to keep the activities fun and lighthearted.
Girls attending the Young Women's Summer Science Camp at Washington State University Spokane CityLab pore over a crime scene, study fake DNA and put on a mock trial using their evidence.
"They do all of that, and then we have pizza," said Glynis Hull, the program coordinator.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 26, 2005
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 25 (AP) - Using tweezers to pick up bits of string and cotton swabs to collect samples of a mysterious red liquid, seventh and eighth graders are trying to figure out what happened to Felix Navidad.
Was the fictitious Mr. Navidad killed by jealous friends at a party? There is no corpse at the crime scene, so was there even a crime? The 19 students will find out by analyzing fingerprints, fluids and other evidence in a weeklong summer camp at the American Museum of Science and Energy here.
They are among the hundreds of students attending camps across the nation this summer to learn more about forensic science.
Inspired by the popularity of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and its spinoffs, universities, museums and other organizations are offering workshops and classes to teach children about the science of sleuthing.
Alyssa McCartt, a seventh grader at the camp here, said she enjoyed "CSI" and wanted to make forensic science her career.
"I watch it while eating dinner, and I don't get sick," she said.
The National Science Teachers Association and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences have reported a surge in interest among students, and many schools now include some aspects of forensics in science curriculums.
"They are intrigued by that whodunit type of experience, and we're thrilled it provides a good avenue for students to learn science and learn how science is used in the everyday world," said Cindy Workosky, a spokeswoman for the science teachers association, based in Arlington, Va.
The students at "CSI: A.M.S.E." in Oak Ridge studied a mock crime scene surrounded by yellow caution tape and strewn with empty soda cans, sunglasses, an alarm clock, a half-full ice tray and footprints.
They put on latex gloves and collected the evidence, carefully placing each item in a separate plastic bag and labeling it.
Many camps are geared toward middle school and high school students. But a forensics camp in Knoxville, Tenn., last year for students ages 9 to 11 was so popular that the organization decided to try a three-day camp for 6- to 8-year-olds this year.
Even students like 8-year-old Sarah Wharton, who said she learned about detectives by watching "Scooby-Doo" cartoons, understand some concepts of forensics.
While discussing hair samples, Sarah said, "You can scan the hair and figure out whose hair it is."
Some camps try to offer students a more realistic glimpse at investigations by tapping into law enforcement sources. A camp planned for August by the South Burlington, Vt., recreation and police departments will include field trips to a laboratory. An overnight camp at Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania next month for high school students is to have a demonstration by a bomb and arson unit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences has sponsored conferences for middle school and high school teachers since 2002 to show them how to present forensic techniques in an accurate way because the television portrayal is not always the way it is done in reality.
But some camp organizers create their own cases, trying to keep the activities fun and lighthearted.
Girls attending the Young Women's Summer Science Camp at Washington State University Spokane CityLab pore over a crime scene, study fake DNA and put on a mock trial using their evidence.
"They do all of that, and then we have pizza," said Glynis Hull, the program coordinator.
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