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ERIC Number: EJ745313
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Mar
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0002-7685
EISSN: N/A
Medium Velocity Spatter Creation by Mousetraps in a Forensic Science Laboratory
Oller, Anna R.
American Biology Teacher, v68 n3 p159-161 Mar 2006
Forensic science courses encompasses the disciplines of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, which provides an opportunity for students to become engaged in all content areas within one course. The inquiry-based learning environment allows visualization of results almost immediately, facilitating student interest. The laboratory components for a forensics course can be expensive, especially when an apparatus to create medium velocity spatter patterns exceeds one hundred dollars. The exercise described in this paper demonstrates how to cheaply create medium velocity blood spatter so students can determine how spatter appears, blood drop directionality and impact angles, and point of origin and point of convergence using rulers, string, and mathematical equations. These determinations will allow students to help recreate a crime scene and determine where a crime was committed. Instructors can use case studies in combination with this exercise to promote critical thinking skills. This exercise would be most appropriate for high school and college students and fits within a two-hour time frame if the materials are prepared in advance. (Contains 1 figure.)
National Association of Biology Teachers. 12030 Sunrise Valley Drive #110, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-406-0775; Tel: 703-264-9696; Fax: 703-264-7778; e-mail: publication@nabt.org; Web site: http://www.nabt.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A