Forensics Course Expectations
Unit 1: Intro to Forensics
Understand:
1. The Constitution of the United States is the source document for all laws.
2. The Amendments of the Constitution guarantee certain legal rights which all investigative
procedures must observe.
Know:
1. The definition of forensics is relating to the application of scientific knowledge to legal
questions
2. Locard Principle is contact between individuals and locations that leads to an exchange of
trace evidence
3. The definition of evidence is data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue
and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects
4. The services of each unit provided by a full service crime lab
i. Physical Science Unit: Soil Chemicals, paint metals Drugs
ii. Biology unit: DNA, Blood, Hair Fibers, Botanical materials
iii. Firearms Unit: firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shot gun shells,
ammunition of all types, trajectory
iv. Document and examination Unit: handwriting, forgery
v. Photography unit: records physical evidence, x-rays, digital imaging to make
invisible images visible
5. What probable cause is
6. What warrants are, how they are issued and how they work
7. The definition of eyewitness accounts
8. That eyewitness accounts have limitations
9. The innocence project is a not for profit organization designed to reexamine post-conviction
cases using DNA and other evidence to provide conclusive proof of guilt or innocence.
10. 200 people have been set free because of the innocence project 17 of which were on death
row
Be Able to:
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3.
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6.
7.
8.
Define forensics
Explain the Locard principle
Define what Evidence is
List services provided by a full service crime lab
Define probable cause
Explain the purpose and process of obtaining a warrant
Explain what an eyewitness account is and the limitations
Identify the purpose and success of the innocence project
Unit 2: Processing a Crime Scene
Understand:
1. Science is the systematic examination of events occurring in the natural world. Scientists
construct theories, based on evidence, about how and why things happen.
2. Processes and procedures are established to ensure Forensic scientist and other
investigators collect and preserve evidence that can be used in court.
3. Failure to follow the correct process and procedures may result in missed evidence or
evidence that is inadmissible in a court of law.
Know:
1. A crime scene is a place where any evidence may be located and gathered to help explain
events
2. The seven S’s of Crime scene investigation:
3. A crime scene is photographed unaltered
4. The four crime search patterns
5. What chain of custody means and why it must be preserved
6. The different evidence requires different packaging
7. Sketching is used to indicate spatial relationship between objects
8. Note and log documentation is to record sequence of actions, time of day, temperature and
who was present
Be Able to:
1. Define what a crime scene is
2. List 7 S’s of a crime scene
3.
4.
5.
6.
1. secure
2. separate witness
3 scan the scene
4. see the scene
5. sketch the scene
6. search for evidence
7. secure evidence
Explain the value of photographic evidence
Demonstrate the crime search patterns
Collect and package evidence for processing
Take notes and Sketch a crime scene
Unit 3: Forensics Entomology
Understand:
1. All living things have a life cycle
2. Application of scientific knowledge about the life cycles of other living organisms can provide
valuable information to the Forensic Scientist.
Know:
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7.
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The definition of forensic entomology
Characteristics of rigor mortis, liver mortis, and algor mortis
What a dichotomous key is and its purpose
All things are classified
System was created by Carolus Linneus
The taxonomy of insects that are attracted to decaying flesh
The life cycle of insects from larvae to adult
Variables effect the life cycle of insects
Be Able to:
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2.
3.
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Define Forensic Entomology
Describe the differences between liver mortis, rigor mortis, algor mortis
Use a Dichotomous Key
Identify different types of insects pertaining to forensics
Diagram the life cycle of an insect
Unit 4: Forensic Anthropology
Understand:
1. Anatomical structures have distinguishing characteristics and change as an organism grows.
2. Application of scientific knowledge about anatomy can provide valuable clues to the forensic
scientist.
Know:
1. That parts of a skeleton can determine age, race, and sex
2. That identification can be made from dental records
Be Able to:
1. Classify remains according to age race and sex
2. Match bite marks with dental impressions
Unit 5: Trace Evidence
Understand:
1. Minute particles of trace evidence can help tell the story of a crime scene.
2. Some types of evidence are unique to individuals and therefore can be used to identify a
particular person.
Know:
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6.
7.
The part of a microscope
The various types of microscopes
What trace evidence includes
The 3 types of fingerprints
The frequencies of the 3 types of fingerprints
The 3 types of finger print evidence
There are different methods for collecting fingerprints off of different surfaces
Be Able to:
1. Use a light microscope and a dissection microscope for analysis of evidence
2. Identify each type of microscope listed
a. Electron Microscope
b. Light Microscope
c. Dissection microscope
d. Stereoscope
3. List the most common types of trace evidence: fiber, paint hair, pollen, soil, metal
4. Label the three types of fingerprints and express their frequencies
a. Arches 5%
b. Whorls 30%
c. Loops 65%
5. Compare latent, visible, and plastic fingerprints
6. Collect fingerprints for analysis
Unit 6: Biological Evidence
Understand:
1. Application of the biological sciences is a central part of forensic science.
Know:
1. DNA is composed of nucleotides
2. DNA is unique for every person
3. DNA can be used to identify or exonerate suspects from a crime
4. The 4 steps of DNA fingerprinting
5. Gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments according to size and molecular weight
6. Mitochondrial DNA is used for identification of skeletal remains
7. DNA can be extracted from nucleated cells
8. Serology is the study of bodily fluids
9. Bodily fluids include blood, semen, saliva
10. The composition of blood
11. The composition of semen
12. The composition of saliva
13. The 4 types of blood
14. That blood splatter analysis is a field of forensics that deals with the physical properties of
blood and he patterns produced under different condition as a result of various forces
applied to the source of blood
15. Toxicology is the study of poisons and the identification of drugs and other substances a
person may have used for medicinal, recreational or criminal purposes.
Be Able to:
1. Analyze segments of DNA for identification
2. List in order the sequence of DNA fingerprinting
a. Extraction
b. Restriction Fragments
c. Amplification
d. Electrophoresis
3. Explain the process of gel-eletrophoresis
4. Explain when and why mitochondrial DNA would be used
5. Extract their own DNA from saliva
6. Identify the components of different bodily fluids
7. List the types of bodily fluids in serology, (blood, semen, saliva)
8. List the four types of blood
9. Explain blood splatter analysis
10. Identify different types and the trajectory of blood splatter
11. Define Toxicology
a. Drugs
b. Types of Poisons
c. Sobriety (Beer Goggles)
d. Alcohol
e. Heavy Metals and Pesticides
f. Bioterrorism Agents
g. Measuring Toxicity
Unit 7: Physical Evidence
Understand:
1. Forensic scientists apply our understanding of physics and material science to analyze
crimes scenes.
2. A “picture’ of what happened at a crime scene can be constructed based on the evidence
and an understanding of physical and material science.
Know:
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7.
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The difference between a bullets and cartridge cases
That a caliber of Bullet relates to barrel size of gun
That a fired gun can produce Gunshot Residue
The difference between a hand gun, a rifle, and a shot gun
That certain tools will leave specific identifiable impressions
That each tire shoe and bite mark can be identified by their impression
That there are different types and characteristics of glass
That glass has two types of fracture patterns, (radial and concentric)
Be Able To:
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Identify types of bullets, guns, and cartridges
Test for GSR simulation
Match the marks made from a hammer, screw driver, and tire iron
Take casts of shoe prints and tire marks
List characteristics and types of glass
Determine the chronological order of fracture pattern breaks by analyzing conchoidial lines
Identify radial and concentric fracture patterns
Unit 8: Forgery
Understand:
1. Scientific principles can be applied to the analysis of documents to establish their
authenticity.
Know:
1. That there are 12 categories of handwriting analysis
2. The difference between and forgery and fraudulence
3. The that counterfeiting is the production of imitation of currency, works of art, documents,
name brand look-a-likes for the purpose of deception
Be Able To:
1. Analyze samples for the 12 categories of handwriting
2. Explain the difference between forgery and fraudulence
3. Determine if documents are counterfeit