Name __________________________
Date: _________ Period: ______
Fingerprint Basics
Site #1: NIST Matching Up Fingerprints:
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/licweb/fingerprints.htm
1. Click the link for “Solving Crimes, Improving Security” and work your way through the pages to complete this section.
WAIT for the blue CONTINUE or NEXT SECTION buttons before you move ahead.
A. What does the acronym FBI mean? ______________________________________________________
B. How many fingerprints are in the FBI master database of criminal files? __________________________
C. What is another term for a partial print found at a crime scene? ________________________
D. What do fingerprints consist of? __________________ and ________________________
F. What are the three main types of fingerprints? _______________ _______________ _______________
G. What type of minutiae points are shown below?
1.
2.
_____________________
3.
_____________________
4.
_____________________
_____________________
H. How many minutiae points must be in common between the latent and suspect print to be considered a match? _______
I. How many minutiae points will match on a complete fingerprint? _________
J. What type of fingerprint equipment is replacing “inked” fingerprints? ____________________________
K. Follow the directions to find a print that matches the latent print from the stolen car. Which suspect matched the latent print?
____________________
L. Which type of fingerprint is most common? __________________
M. Which type is least common? ____________________
2. Return to the first page of this site and scroll down to find the link for “Now try our fingerprint matching game!” Click the
link and keep track of the number of guesses you needed to find the correct one.
Which fingerprint was the correct one? ___________ How many guesses did it take to find the correct one? ______________
Site #2: TruTV Fingerprint Game
http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/fingerprint/index.html
Choose the “Fingerprints Game” link and follow the directions to match the prints. Try the game at least 5 times and record
your efforts in the chart. Be sure to record the letter that identifies the prints.
# of print
# of guesses
1
Letter of Correct
print
Classification
Of print
T. Trimpe 2006 http://sciencespot.net/
2
3
4
5
Site #3: PBS Whodunit?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dillinger/sfeature/sf_whodunit.html
Click the link for “Whodunit?” Read the information presented and follow the directions to complete this activity.
A. What was the crime? ____________________________________________________
B. What time did it happen? _____________ Where? _____________________________
C. How many people were involved? __________
D. How many fingerprints did you collect from the bank? _______
E. How many other fingerprints did you find that could not be used? ________
F. Who are your main suspects? _____________________________________________________________________
G. Why would you fingerprint the bank employees? ______________________________________________________
H. Follow the directions to match prints from the evidence files to the ones in the fingerprint files.
I.
Which person was responsible for the crime? ___________________________________
Site #4: Study Of Faulty Fingerprints Debunks Forensic Science 'Zero Error' Claim
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050913124509.htm
1. UC Irvine criminologist Simon Cole estimates ________of incorrect fingerprint “matches” could be made each year in the U.S.
2. Despite the publicly acknowledged cases of error, fingerprint examiners have long held that fingerprint identification is
____________ and testified in court that their error rate for matching fingerprints is ____________.
3. Cole’s study appears where?
4. What happened in the Brandon Mayfield case?
5. What are the four safeguards to prevent faulty convictions?
6. What is the error rate of print examiners according to proficiency tests? ________________
7. How many mistaken matches could this represent? _________________
Done? Try the games listed below.
http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/hiddenmine/index.html
The Mystery of the Hidden Mine – Who did it? ________________________________________
http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/burgledbonuses/index.html
Burgled Bonuses – Who did it? ________________________________________