Goal 1: INVESTIGATE HOW FORENSIC SCIENCE WAS STARTED,
THE SOCIAL NEED FOR SOLVING CRIMES.
Big Idea (s)
 Forensic science is the study and application of science to matters of the law.
Essential Question (s):
What is the role of a forensic scientist?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
FS-1 Describe the various professions in
the area of forensic science
FS-2 Understand the growth and
development of forensic science through
history
FS-3 *Describe the role of the Forensic
scientist in a crime lab.
FS-4 Distinguish among the different
kinds of law in the U.S. criminal justice
system.
FS-5 Explain why the Federal Rules of
Evidence are needed.
Revised June, 2010
As evidenced by:

Create a list of various professions in
forensic science and what they
examine.

Create a timeline of events in the
development of forensic science.

Discuss the main jobs a forensic
scientist as an expert witness,
examiner of evidence and trainer.

Explain how forensic scientists use
the scientific method when
analyzing evidence.

Discuss a forensic application to each
of the different kinds of law in the
U.S. criminal justice system.

Discuss when evidence is admissible
and how it can be used for a jury.
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Goal 2: INVESTIGATE HOW TO GATHER PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND
DOCUMENT THE PARTICULARS OF A CRIME SCENE.
Big Idea (s)
 The outcome of a case is determined by the evidence.
Essential Question (s):
1. What are the different types of evidence?
2. What is the importance of how evidence is handled?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:

EC-1 *Describe the different types
evidence.
EC-2 Explain the limitations of eyewitness
accounts.

EC-3 Explain the steps necessary to
preserve and document a crime scene.

EC-4 Describe how evidence is collected
and packaged and the importance of the
chain of custody.

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
Create a chart of evidence
comparing: physical vs.
testimonial, individual vs. class
with examples of each type.
Activity on probability and class
evidence
Activity on recognizing
individual vs. class evidence.
Activity on observing a situation
and recalling facts.
Sketch a crime scene.
Discuss of evidential procedure is
crucial for an investigation.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)

Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
TBD
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Goal 3: IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FINGERPRINTS AND
COMPARE THEM TO KNOW PRINTS
Big Idea (s)
 Fingerprints are unique to an individual.
Essential Question (s):
1. How can a person’s fingerprint identify them?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:

Fingerprint lab- students will use
a template card for obtaining
their own prints, classify them
and compare characteristics.
 Identification activity: Use
Techniques to compare prints:
Delta, bifurcation, ridge endings,
etc.
 Laboratory investigation of
different methods of lifting
fingerprints.
FP-1 *Investigate how
fingerprints are a means of
unique identification.
FP-2 Identify fingerprints by type
and ridge characteristics.
FP-3 Explain the methods of
detecting fingerprints.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)

Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
TBD
3
Goal 4: INVESTIGATE THE DIFFERENCES IN BLOOD TYPES AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF BLOOD
Big Idea (s)
 Blood can be closely associated to a particular individual.
Essential Question (s):
1. What are the major blood types?
2. What can be determined from blood evidence?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:
BL-1 Describe the nature of bloodantigens and antibodies
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BL-2 *Identify Blood types

Students will be able to:
Blood typing lab
Blood spatter lab
Lab activity to distinguish if blood is
present and if it is human or animal.
Activity to determine parentage.
BL-3 *Explain the forensic
characteristics of bloodstains
BL-4 Principles of heredity
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)

Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
TBD
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Goal 5: INVESTIGATE DNA EXTRACTION AND PROCESS OF DNA
CODING
Big Idea (s):
 DNA has a genetic uniqueness that can be used to identify or clear an individual
in a crime.
Essential Question (s):
1. How is DNA useful in forensic science?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:

Write a paper on what DNA is
and its uses.
DN-2 Describe the general structure of
DNA

DNA extraction lab. (bananas)
DN-3 Understand the difference
between nuclear DNA and
mitochondrial DNA

Gel electrophoresis lab simulation.

Internet search
DN-1 *Define DNA and describe its
forensic uses.
DN-4 Determine if given DNA
samples are a match.
DN -5 Explain the use of CODIS
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
5
Goal 6: STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TRACE EVIDENCE CAN BE
USED TO BACK UP CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE IN A CASE.
Big Idea (s):
 Hair and Fibers are the most common trace evidence collected at a crime scene.
Essential Question (s):
1. What information can be obtained from hairs?
2. How are fibers used as evidence?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:

HF-1 *Describe the morphology of
hair.
HF-2 Distinguish between human and
animal hairs by viewing scale patterns,
medulla, and cortex areas of the hair.
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HF-3 Explain the three stages of hair
growth.

HF-4 Explain how hair can be used as
a chemical indicator for drugs, their
metabolites, vitamins and poisons.
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HF-5 Describe under what
circumstances hair can be used as
individual evidence.

HF-6 Distinguish and identify
different types of fibers.
HF-7 *Explain how fibers are
valuable as evidence.

Microscopic examination of a hair
sample to recognize the form and
structure of hair.
Lab exercise to distinguish between
human and animal characteristics of
hair.
Discussion of why hair is so commonly
found at a crime scene.
Discussion of how drugs can be found
in your hair a month after taking them.
Microscopic examination of hair roots.
Carry out investigations on how
different types of fibers respond to
various tests.
Create a poster on a particular fiber and
explain how it is made, who discovered
it, its chemical structure, if it is natural
or synthetic, and how it is used.
Discuss how sampling and statistics
can help make fiber evidence
valuable.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
6
Goal 7: STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW HUMAN REMAINS ARE
USEFUL TO BOTH PATHOLOGISTS AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS.
Big Idea (s):
 Human remains can be used to identify an individual.
Essential Question (s):
1. What can bones tell us about a person?
2. How can human remains be useful in determining time of death of an individual?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:

HR-1 *Explain how a pathologist
determines time of death using
human remains.

HR-2 Explain what blowflies can tell
a forensic scientist about the time of
death of a body.

HR-3 Distinguish between human and
animal bones.
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HR-4 *Describe how bones can be
useful in determining height, age,
sex and race of a person.
Discuss the differences between algor,
livor and rigor mortis.
Create a drawing of a fly’s life cycle
and what can be determined about the
decomposition of a body at each stage.
Discuss the differences in bone
structure between human and animal
bones.
Activity- Forensic Bones
Bone identification lab
Comparative anatomy lab
Handouts of bones and skulls
HR-5 *Describe how bones are
individualized.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
7
Goal 8: DETECT SIGNS OF FORGERY IN DOCUMENTS AND
HANDWRITING SAMPLES
Big Idea (s):
 Any object of handwriting or print whose source is in doubt is a questioned
document.
Essential Question (s):
1. How can you tell if a document is authentic?
2. How can an expert document examiner individualize handwriting?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:
DH-1 *Explain how to determine if
a document is original or a forgery.
hair.

Handwriting activities

Lab on ink and paper
comparison
DH-2 Explain how handwriting is
analyzed.

Counterfeit Currency activity
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
8
Goal 9: STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES
BASED ON TESTING OF CHEMICALS AND THEIR REACTION TO
CERTAIN REAGENTS
Big Idea (s):
 Drugs can affect the function or structure of living tissue through various chemical
reactions.
Essential Question (s):
1. How are drugs classified?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by:
DR-1 *Compare illicit drugs and
their negative effects.

DR-2 Describe the tests forensic
chemists use for identifying drugs.

Create a chart of illicit drugs by
category and explain the effects
caused by each.
Lab - Thin layer chromatography
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
9
Goal10: STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES CAN BE USED TO IDENTIFY BOTH GLASS AND SOIL.
Big Idea (s):
 Glass and soil can be used to place a suspect at a crime scene.
Essential Question (s):
1. How can glass be used to help reconstruct a crime?
2. How does soils composition help solve crimes?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
GS-1 Explain the properties of glass
that can be used to analyze it.
GS-2 *Describe how glass can be
used to reconstruct a crime.
GS-3 Explain the forensic definition
of soil and describe the properties of
soil that forensic chemists use for
analyzing soil evidence.
GS-4 *Describe how the
composition of soil can help solve a
crime.
As evidenced by:

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Density Lab for glass
Index of Refraction discussion and
demo.
Discussion of glass fracture patterns.
Discussion on the forensic definition of
soil and what tests can be done to
analyze soil evidence based on its
properties.
Lab Activity: Observe Soil
Research a case and write a paper
on the forensic definition of soil and
how soil was involved in solving the
case.
Lab Activity: Soil castings
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Revised June, 2010
Summative District Assessment(s)
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