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Does anybody know of any good Forensic Science experiments apart from the usual fingerprinting, plaster casts etc?

Here at Coorparoo we do blood grouping, fingerprinting, chromatography of pens, blood splatter analysis, pH analysis of soil samples. We have also introduced this year, CSI board games and computer games which cover a range of topics and forensic techniques

We do similar things with some fibre analysis. Have followed the old JJJ Ministers Malibu program and have now moved onto another prepared scenario called Who Killed Jamie Lawson.

We blood test by using a range of precipitation reactions. Cheap as chips and still gives the same principles. If you want the details I can post them.

we do chemical test for unknown liquids to identify them, some pracs on cars, human reaction times,analysing bones (determine the height...)...

Could you please post the recipe you use for the simulated blood for the blood splatter. Have tried this for the first time this year and the teachers weren't totally happy with the fake blood. Many thanks.

dbens1 wrote: Here at Coorparoo we do blood grouping, fingerprinting, chromatography of pens, blood splatter analysis...

For blood splashing we generally just add some gelatine to water to the right consistency and then add red food colour. Although I have another recipe that I have not tried yet that may be of some use:

Fake Blood Recipe


1 commercial sachet of yeast
3 tabs glucose
2 g iron II sulfate
5 g urea
red dye
a little dissolved gelatine
500 ml water

Stir and allow solution to stand for 30 minutes.

The solution will 'grow' depending on the ambient temperature so if it's
a hot day, don't enclose in small dropper bottles too soon before the
prac. I think I use carmosine dye I had donated by Golden Circle Cannery
ages back, but you could use a variety of red dyes. Experiment with some
in water to get an appropriate one.

And out blood grouping List is as follows:

Simulated Blood Typing


Type A sodium chloride
Type B barium nitrate
Type AB barium chloride
Type O water

colour each of these red

Anti serums

Anti A lead nitrate colour it blue
Anti B sodium carbonate colour it yellow


Hope this helps

we recently did this prac with success, something a little different

http://www.creative-chemistry.org.uk/ac ... /urine.htm

Karen

There is a good website on Forensic Science called Court TV. It has 5 units of work which include a crime, all the student handouts, teacher notes & importantly all the information you need to prepare it. They have a few ideas that are well worth checking out. See: http://www.courttv.com/forensics_curriculum/

For the Forensic science unit at Clayfield we have the girsl do a DNA extractoin so they can see DNA. It also helps the talk about DNA fingerprinting and identification seem more real for the girls.

A good contact place for forensic is the Police. We have some oficers help us each year do a crime scean for the studnets to solve, and everyone loves it.

we do a really good forensic bloodstain detection prac that uses a spray on mix of hydrogen peroxide and luminol which glows a bright blue when in contact with Haem from blood.
We use horse blood which I apply to all different dark surfaces from wood to cloth, allow this to dry and give to students to spray and detect blood.
See http://www.southernbiological.com for the materials.
we also do gel electrophoresis to match victims and suspects DNA. You can purchase a small kit for demos from southern biological.
The kids love these two pracs.
Cheers