Examining the Evidence
| Science Course | |
|---|---|
| Course Code | EXAM |
| Year Opened | 1998 |
| Sites Offered | ALE, BRI, CGV, GIL, HKY, LAJ, LOS, NUE, SAN, SPE, SRF, WLA |
| Previously Offered | CHS, MSA, NRS, SHD, STP, WDS, WIN |
Course Description
From the CTY Course Catalog (2000):
How can an abandoned car, wiped free of fingerprints and devoid of license tags and all other identifying marks, help investigators solve a jewelry heist? This course seeks to answer questions like this one as students explore how forensic investigators uncover and analyze evidence from a "clean" crime scene.
To the trained investigator, the dirt in the wheel wells and the bugs on the windshield are, in fact, valuable clues. Through case studies and lab exercises, students learn to use the sciences of forensic geology and entomology to figure out how scientists discover where the car traveled from and thus where to look for the perpetrators.
In other mock investigations, students draw upon additional techniques employed by scientific investigators: fingerprinting; hair, fiber, and handwriting analysis; and profiling. They also explore the practices of blood typing, DNA analysis, forensic dentistry, and toxicology. Through studying famous criminal cases and a range of scientific methodologies, students use their new-found investigative techniques to "crack the case."
