Hitachi High-Tech America’s
Inspire STEM Education Program
SEM Operation
Instructions
Nano-Forensics
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Introduction
The Hitachi High-Tech America’s Inspire STEM Education Outreach Programs’ mission is to inspire the
next generation of innovative science pioneers through the advancement of science, technology,
engineering, and math. Our program inspires kindergarten to graduate-level students with the tabletop
scanning electron microscope and maximizes the learning experience with the best practices and
resources from our work in the field as well as from collaborators and partners in education and
business.
As a world leader in microscopy, we inspire the next by opening the micro-world with our TM Series SEM
(scanning electron microscope). Microscopy is an exciting, active learning resource for students that can
inspire a lifelong interest in science. As the world changes, industry changes to adapt to the marketplace
so does education. Worldwide education is experiencing a fundamental change in how we educate the
next generation. We aim to be part of this change which supports and helps educators transition from
their brick and mortar classrooms to the digital age. Using our TM Series Scanning Electron Microscope,
our teaching tool, and in the spirit of powering good, we are creating a series of nanotechnology learning
modules that can be used both in a traditional or remote classroom as teachers leverage technology and
create the classrooms of tomorrow.
Through the program, schools can:
 Have a Tabletop SEM loaned to them for classroom use.
 With our program expansion, use an SEM via remote access for virtual classroom learning.
 Utilize prepared instructional modules, Learning Modules, to help instruct students of all ages,
from grade-schoolers to graduate students the basics of nanotechnology.
 Share resources with other educators and have access to lesson plans, videos and links to shared
images, and much more about microscopy and nanoscience.
 Work with a dedicated EOP team of professionals to find best practices that will fit site needs.
Being mindful of the time limitations educators are up against, it can be challenging to develop step by
step projects for their classes. This document is a 3-day project giving you examples introducing ideas to
implement teaching nanotechnology to your students, to our partners and all the resources that are
available to expand opportunities in teaching this science. It is a start to teaching nanotechnology and
can guide you in integrating nanotech concepts with everyday materials and resources.
Learning Module 3 – Forensics
The field of forensic is of key importance to law enforcement and provides closure to life-changing
events. Forensic Science deals with the application of the knowledge and methodology of various
disciplines of science to legal matters. It involves the use of multiple disciplines for evidence analysis. It is
in processing trace evidence such as fibers, soil, hair, pollen, and much
more,
that the role of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) becomes critical.
The SEM’s ability to examine a wide range of materials, from high to low
magnification with good depth of focus, makes it an indispensable tool for
sample identification and together with the ability to analyze elemental
composition to make conclusive identifications of the origin of some
materials. Making the SEM a pivotal instrument in the chain of evidence.
Let’s get started!
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Table of Contents
1. Day1
a. Ice Breaker: Jar Guessing Game
b. Project 1: (recommended grade levels 7-12th)
i. The Case of the Missing Cookies (Scott La-Fontain, Creekside Middle School Patterson, CA)
ii. SEM Experience
2. Day 2
a. Ice Breaker: Cup Stacking
b. Project 2 (recommended grade levels 7-12th)
i. Bio Dome Exercise (Dr. Dave Menshew, Enoch High School Antioch, CA)
ii. SEM Experience
3. Day 3
a. Ice Breaker:
b. Project 3 (recommended grade levels 7-12th)
i. Crime in the Mountain (Dr. Dave Menshew, Enoch High School Antioch, CA)
ii. SEM Experience
To learn more about the Inspire STEM Education Outreach Program please visit www.inspireSTEMeducation.us
or email to STEM@Hitachi-HighTech.com.
NANO Forensics
Day 1:
Ice Breaker: Jar Guessing Game (optional)
Fill 3 guessing Jars of the same size with similar type of items such as
balls, fill one jar with large balls, one with medium balls and one with
small balls. Have everyone write down their name and the number of
balls they think are in the jar and put it in the box. Collect the entries
from the box and see who had the closest guess.
Learning points:
 Note how the size of the objects affects the quantity that can fit in each jar.
 Ask how could we fit even more objects in the same jar (make each ball smaller)
 What happens if we keep make the items smaller and smaller?
Fun math fact: Take everyone’s guess and take the average, you should have a number close to the
actual answer.
Project 1:
The case of the missing cookies
(Experiment based on Scott La-Fontain, Creekside Middle School Patterson, CA. May 2019 report)
Materials:
 4 plus different types of hairs, feathers &/or fabric (i.e. Dog, person, hamster, cat, cotton)
 4 bags
 tweezers
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
Gloves
Scenario
Your Principal is known to be lover of baked goods and he always brings some to share. This morning he
brought cookies as usual and when he had to leave his office for a short meeting the cookies were gone.
All that was Left in the scene of the crime was a few cookie crumbles and what appears to be strands of
fabric or hair. As such the forensics task force then collected all the evidence and also collected evidence
from suspects that had access to the office including the principal pets.
Task
Use the evidence collected to determine who ate the cookies and dish out a cold serving of justice.
Lab Steps
1. Have students organize evidence collected.
2. Make sure all hairs, and fibers from crime scene are properly labeled
3. Using a magnifying glass, light microscope compare all suspect samples
collected to evidence left behind by suspect.
4. Have students determine who the culprit is and explain how they
know.
Note:
Make sure students compare and draw conclusions until AFTER all evidence is analyzed and categorized
to minimize bias. You can also add more pieces of evidence as desired such as types of prints, animal or
human, left behind. You can have student draw/take pictures of crime scene and create report they can
then present.
Learning Points:
 Students should be able to make clear and concise statement of who the culprit is.
 Students should avoid “I think”, “I believe” and replace their wording to “the evidence suggests”,
“the evidence points to”. It is a good time to remind students that science is based on clear
empirical evidence.
 Empirical evidence is the information received by means of the senses, particularly by
observation and documentation of patterns and behavior through experimentation. The term
comes from the Greek word for experience, ἐμπειρία (empeiría). Empirical evidence is
information acquired by observation or experimentation. Scientists record and analyze this data.
The process is a central part of the scientific method. (https://www.livescience.com/21456-empirical-evidence-adefinition.html)

Educators should aim for students to understand the scientific method and practice presenting
evidence clearly through posters, written papers, images, power point or any other medium
deemed appropriate to meet class requirements.
SEM Extension:
Royalty-free stock illustration ID: 572234674
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(See introduction for information on how to get access to an SEM)
Processing evidence:
Have students keep all evidence clean, use of gloves and tweezers required as any sloppy work will make
their results inadmissible in court.
Prep sample and have students hypothesize:
 Using the SEM have students take images of all samples collected including the evidence left
behind.
 Once you have images, arrange them in sequential order in a document to reliable compare and
be suitable to show in a trial.
Questions to consider when comparing evidence and describing it
 What structures do you see?
 What makes each piece of evidence different? Unique? Similar?
 Are samples natural? Synthetic? No possible to tell?
Note:
Make sure students compare and draw conclusions until AFTER all evidence is analyzed and categorized
to minimize bias. You can also add more pieces of evidence as desired such as types of prints, animal or
human, left behind. You can have student draw/take pictures of crime scene and create report they can
then present.
Images courtesy of https://deannajump.com/case-of-missing-cookies-cookie/
Day 2
Ice Breaker: Cup Stacking (optional)
Try this old ice breaker to test your student’s teamwork and introduce the concept of Biomes.
Materials per group
 4-6 strings/1 per student
 1 rubber band
 6 cups
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Instructions
1. Tie one string per student to rubber band
2. Assign numbers,1-6, to each student in group
3. Each students grabs a string and pulls/push to pickup cups
4. Students are to build a piramid of cups
5. As students grab cups call out a random number between 1-6
6. Student who hold said number must let go their string immediately.
7. Continue until only 1 or 2 students are left.
Ask students:
1. What do they observe?
2. Why do they think this is happening?
3. Ask students what they learned from experience:
a. i.e. It got harder as less people helped/let go of string it
Learning points:
 Teamwork & communication discourse opportunity
 Connection to main lesson: A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to
the plants and animals that live in it. As species are taken out it makes each Biome’s stability
shaky at best and if enough species die off it can lead to a complete biome collapse.
Project 2
Evidence: Bio Dome Exercise
(Experiment based on Dr. Dave Menshew, Enoch High School Antioch, CA. May 2019 report)
In this exercise student groups will be asked to collect sample of each specified area that will serve as
representations of different types of biomes. Each group will be asked to collect, analyze and categorize
each data point and reach a conclusion as to what type of biome each area represents based on samples
collected by group.
Examples of Biomes to use:
Ocean: Salt water aquarium, Dessert: lizard enclosure, Rainforest: garden.
Materials: (per group)
 Gloves
 Tweezers
 Plastic bags/containers
Pre-Lab Set-Up
 Rope off distinct different areas of your school site, garden, aquarium or outside area.
 Rope off area should be in safe area free of traffic, dangerous items, and no more than 102 feet.
Lab Steps
1. Have each student group collect
a. 2+ samples of plants
b. Soil sample/s
c. Insects
d. Unique samples i.e.: fruits, flowers/pollen
2. Have each group categorize each sample and label it accordingly
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3. Take images and or drawings of samples
4. Take images with SEM
5. From data gathered have students research what Biome each area may represent and why.
Learning points
It is common to state that there are five major biomes: deserts, aquatic, forests, grasslands, and tundra.
NASA lists seven biomes: tundra, shrubland, rainforest, grassland, desert, temperate deciduous forest,
and coniferous forests.
SEM Sample Processing:
Processing Samples:
1. Use SEM to take individual images of each sample collected.
2. Take images of the same sample at various magnification i.e.: 100X, 400X & 1000X
3. Image all samples first before categorizing or drawing conclusions
4. Print and organize images in order of magnification for all samples
Leaf 100X
Leaf 250X
Pollen 100X
Pollen 600X
Think about?
 How are samples collected related?
 Are there any unique features all samples share?
 What can each sample tell you about the environment it was found in?
Day 3
Ice Breaker: Making an argument
For full online exercise https://davestuartjr.com/first-day-activity-argumentation/optional
The point of an argument isn't winning, but rather it's getting to the bottom of things. This exercise will
prepare students in creating concise arguments and prepare counter arguments to defend or rebuff
arguments
Instructions:
1. Separate class into small groups of 3-4
2. Have each student brainstorm five or so clear and precise arguable claims that tell the rest of the
class something about them.
a. Model something like this to students:
i. Some of the things that are important to me are my wonderful dogs, churros,
tacos, science fiction, and reading. Some things that I did this past summer
include camping, renovating my house, and hating the radio repeatedly play
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“Call Me Maybe.” One of my core beliefs about students is that hard workers
come out ahead of lazy smart people.
ii. Educator: So that's probably enough for my five. Now, how can I turn these into
debatable claims? In other words, how can I state them in a way that you could
argue with me? Let's just try it:
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
The most Dogs in the world are my dogs bark & bone.
Best food in the world is a churro
The second best food in the world is tacos.
The most relaxing way to spend a rainy day is by curling up on the couch with a
good book.
vii. The best campground in the United States is Big Sur Campground.
viii. The absolute worst song in the history of mankind is “Call Me Maybe.”
Materials
 Paper & Pencil
 Something to brainstorm as a group
Ask students:
1. After sharing each arguable claim, ask students to give a thumbs up or thumbs down on whether
it is debatable.
a. Use index cards to call on students and ask them to make a counterclaim.
2. Once exercised is modeled this and a few students have successfully done it, ask students to go
to work writing their own claims that tell us something about them.
3. After five minutes or so, have students share all of their draft claims in their groups, and ask each
student group member to help each other choose which claim they should read to the whole
class.
4. Finally, each student will read a claim to the whole class, educator provides feedback if
necessary, and have class do some mad clapping, and move on.
Project 3 – Crime in the Mountains
(Lab project from Dr. Dave Menshew, Enoch High School Antioch, CA. Forensics Biotechnology Program January 2019 report)
Scenario
Dr. Liddle was returning from a day’s drive to the mountains. On his way, he stopped for what looked like
was a man with vehicle trouble. Unfortunately, in the shadows were two accomplices, one of which
wielded a wrench, striking Dr. Liddle unconscious. A second accomplice took Dr. Liddle’s wallet long
enough to remove the cash. As he wore gloves, no prints were left, but a fragment of a dollar bill was
torn while it was in the alleged perpetrator’s pocket.
Prelab set up:
1. Create a PowerPoint detailing a scenario wherein a car was stolen from a local doctor who was
on a trip back from nearby mountains. Images of local land features are used to connect to prior
knowledge and create relevance. Stock images of the victim, vehicle, and locations are included.
2. Students are given samples recovered from the locations, vehicle, and suspects in the case, and
are to report on their attributes. Authentic use of language is made, working in teams,
collaboration and negotiation of meaning strengthens communications skills.
Evidence Processing:
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1. Human hair found lodged in wrench used to strike victim. Ragged edge is consistent with violent
removal from body. Subsequent mtDNA established that it was consistent with the victim.
2. Fragment of currency found in pocket of suspected perpetrator, matching void in dollar bill spent
at local convenience store near the crime scene at the approximate time of the assault and theft.
3. Flower fragments consistent with species found at the scene of the crime taken from the pants
cuff of second accomplice.
4. Students use the SEM images to link the victim, suspects, and crime scene and provide rationale
for their conclusion.
Material
 Possible samples to use with students:
 Flower part/Pollen
 Dirt samples
 Flower/plant samples (from
 Fabric
 Plastic (to simulate vehicle parts)
 Part of a dollar bill (evidence found in car)
 Hair sample (From Wrench
Learning points:


Students connect to prior knowledge by explaining the similarities and differences between their
own samples and those from the “crime.” They also connect to other cases they may have heard
of. The goal is to make conceptual sense of the topic being studied.
Students now use the knowledge gained from the SEM investigation to suggest possible
connections between the crime scene, the victim, and the perpetrator. (Evidence Triangle Below)
Presentations:
In dyads or triads, students prepare their final reports, and deliver same in one of a variety of ways:
poster with defense, PowerPoint or Prezi with defense, model, video, or written paper. Teacher may
choose to evaluate the work themselves, or convene a panel of upper classmen, or if possible, local law
enforcement or lawyers.
SEM Sample evidence
Human hair found lodged in wrench used to strike victim. Ragged edge is consistent with
violent removal from body. Subsequent mtDNA established that it was consistent with
the victim.
Fragment of currency found in pocket of suspected perpetrator, matching void in dollar
bill spent at local convenience store near the crime scene at the approximate time of the
assault and theft.
Flower fragments consistent with species found at the scene of the crime taken from the
pants cuff from the second accomplice.
Copyright©2020 Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc. All Rights
Copyright©2020 Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc. All Rights
Copyright©2020 Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc. All Rights