Science Sleuths

Pam Walker, M.Ed., has twenty-three years of experience in teaching science and was named 2007 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Elaine Wood, M.S., has spent thirteen years teaching science. Both Walker and Wood teach science in Douglasville, Georgia. They are coauthors of several resource books including Hands-On General Science Activities with Real-Life Applications, Crime Scene Investigations: Real-Life Science Labs for Grades 6-12, and Crime Scene Investigations: Real-Life Science Activities for Elementary Grades.

• About the Authors. Preface.1. Stop, Look, and Listen: Using the Five Senses in Forensic Science.Activity 1.1: Trained Eyes.Activity 1.2: Up Close and Personal.Activity 1.3: Quick Draw.Activity 1.4: Get the Picture?Activity 1.5: Sniffing Out the Solution.Activity 1.6: Make a Note of It.Activity 1.7: Handwriting Never Lies.Activity 1.8: Comparative Handwriting Analysis.Activity 1.9: In the Dark—Homework Assignment.Activity 1.10: Secret Codes—Homework Assignment.2. Inquiring Sleuths Want to Know: What to Ask and How to Remember at the Crime Scene.Activity 2.1: Seeing Is Believing.Activity 2.2: Are Eyewitnesses Accurate?Activity 2.3: Train Your Brain.Activity 2.4: Motive, Motive, Motive.Activity 2.5: Just the Facts, Ma’am.Activity 2.6: Which Came First?Activity 2.7: The Missing Laptop.Activity 2.8: A Picture-Perfect Mystery.Activity 2.9: A License to Remember—Homework Assignment.Activity 2.10: What Are Your Questions?—Homework Assignment.3. Opening Up a Can of Worms: Using Earth Science in Crime Scene Investigations.Activity 3.1: Finger the Felon.Activity 3.2: Sealed with a Kiss.Activity 3.3: The Invisible Prints.Activity 3.4: If the Shoe Fits.Activity 3.5: Earn Your Good Marks.Activity 3.6: The Case of Blood Splatter.Activity 3.7: Shattered Glass.Activity 3.8: Dirty Evidence.Activity 3.9: Fingerprint Frequency—Homework Assignment.Activity 3.10: Tracking Down the Intruder—Homework Assignment.4. When the Beaker Bubbles Over: Using Physical Science in Forensic Science.Activity 4.1: Paper Detective.Activity 4.2: Cookie Confusion.Activity 4.3: Stick It to ‘Em.Activity 4.4: Burning Evidence.Activity 4.5: Gabby’s Gone.Activity 4.6: Cutting Agents.Activity 4.7: Floating Down the River.Activity 4.8: Trouble on the Track.Activity 4.9: Invisible Ink—Homework Assignment.Activity 4.10: Skidding to a Stop—Homework Assignment.5. Using the Logical in Biological: Applying Biology to Crime Scene Investigations.Activity 5.1: Untangling a Hairy Dognapping.Activity 5.2: Famous Freckles.Activity 5.3: Checking It Twice.Activity 5.4: Pointing Out the Poacher.Activity 5.5: Green Evidence.Activity 5.6: Tell-Tale Foot.Activity 5.7: Detergent Deception.Activity 5.8: Ruined Radishes.Activity 5.9: The Eternal Onion—Homework Assignment.Activity 5.10: Entomology Report—Homework Assignment.6. It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: Solving Crime Through Critical Thinking and Problem Solving.Activity 6.1: Scientific Detectives.Activity 6.2: The Case of the Placido Murder.Activity 6.3: The Case of the Oak Street Murder.Activity 6.4: The Case of the Missing Crown.Activity 6.5: The Case of the Crushed Cameras.Activity 6.6: The Case of Star Trek Art.Activity 6.7: The Case of the Atlanta Car Thefts.Activity 6.8: The Budget Crunch.Activity 6.9: Comparing Cases—Homework Assignment.Activity 6.10: The Sherlock in You—Homework Assignment.Glossary.Resources for the Classroom.