Week at a glance

This week we are learning about Blood and its place in forensics. What are blood types and how are they determined, what about DNA in blood and much much more

Due to bad weather last week ALL testing has been placed in this week, so when not testing this class will fulfill missing assignments

This week prior to testing in science and social studies the students will conclude their study of Bones and bites with another bring home piece, their personal bite impression. This will include an understanding of why it is no longer a "Key" evidence piece in criminal investigations.

This week is a continuation of week 6 due to TELPAS and end of the 6 weeks testing and ZAP

Bones and Bites; what use are these in Forensics? Well, students this week will learn about the skeleton and their own personal bite (teeth) and the legal situations with them.

This week students will research the history of, safety of and more about Firearms. We have had a speaker from the Ft Worth PD come in and speak to all classes, now the students will dig deeper in to the mystery of Firearms through internet research on Fact / Fiction and More

Your students will learn about DNA Fact Fiction and More. How is it used in Forensics and how can they learn more about it. They will make and bring home a sample of their very own personal DNA to keep in the freezer until Momma is tired of it.

This week we are going to build a data base of information for the students on DNA, what it is, where it is and how it is used in Forensics.

This week the students will be learning the history and uses of fingerprints. We will cover everything from what they are, to how to lift and use them in forensics

Wednesday to Friday this week our lesson and personal goals is to getting to know each other. Once this is accomplished the students will have 3 assignments due by Friday this week. ALL of them are in the google classroom. We have to be sure that all students know where the class is, what it is focused on topic wise, who else is in the class. And we must ensure that all students can use google forms and google slides for the highest grade possible with solid good work.

The current google class codes are on this web site and will be updated on the school site this week

Weeks 17 and 18 are the end of the semester and this lab set is graded as a lab(40%) and test ( 20%) of the total semester grade for the final 6 weeks period. It is the students opportunity to demonstrate that they have actually learned some small part of what forensics is about and how to apply that knowledge in a simulated real event. The Mayor has been killed. How? Why? And by whom? The evidence is all provided for an accurate and reliable decision based on that evidence if it is correctly tested. Now who can prove it?

We are going to spend the last portion of the semester on bones and forensics. Your students should be able to discuss and identify the 6 major long bones / pelvic girdle and skull, of the body and where they are in the body as well as describe how forensics uses them to solve cold cases

Your students will be introduced to and learn to use a very old and reliable science tool call the Dichotomous Key to identify the specimen in our next case, the Flowers for Freddy Murder case

This week students will create a lab on finding DNA from crime scene materials evidence. They will process the evidence and set up a lab event to verify the presence of DNA on that evidence leading into the next discovery lab.

this week your students will learn about DNA. when did it become and accepted Forensics tool? How is it used today and many more interesting components of this topic

Due to student performance and other outside issues the blood unit is being conducted this week

Our students this week will complete the fingerprints and be introduced to Blood. What it is, how it is used in forensics and how to type it

Students will learn the history and uses of fingerprints from a challenge activity to actually taking and identifying their own actual prints

Your students during this week will learn about firearms. We have a guest speaker from the Fort Worth Police department who will share his information about weapons and how we can be best educated on this issue. Then the students will do personal study on a subtopic and present their findings. Topics range from the Discovery/invention of Gunpowder to the current use of the semiautomatic pistol. The biggest takeaway should be that guns of any type are tools and that it is the operator of the weapon that determines if it is for good or evil.

due to student disengagement we are delayed in accomplishing this lab set, We will finish the lesson as described in week 15 and the target date to dissect the rat is on June 1. I will post the next lesson, upon completion of the Mc Arthur case, will be firearms history and safety with the FWPD Gangs and weapons unit

This case is going to challenge our students with many new concepts and practices. They will need to develop a plan of action, determine how to build data tables and determine which labs are needed to study the evidence provided in this case. Lois McArthur has been found dead, with a suicide note. Was it suicide or something more evil. How did this happen and who was involved. Can we find the correct suspect in time to prevent any other crimes, if it was not suicide? What student will solve the mystery first??

Tuesday and Wednesday this week are STAAR test all day; therefore I am using Monday / Thursday and Friday as "reboot'days". Your students are going to be immersed in cram sessions on the labs we have already done the systems we have learned. We will be doing reviews and vocabulary activities in addition to support materials to prepare for this final 6 weeks of Cold Cases in Forensics. Your learner will be reviewing the vocabulary because vocabulary is going to be very important and useful to review and refine. We are going to bring back Blood, Fingerprints, bugs, hair and fiber, and Osteology and refine our understanding of firearms for the future cold cases to be sure that misconceptions are removed and evidence is the primary focus of research and conclusions in the science of forensics

This week due to STAAR testing and technical issues your learners will Attempt to predict the events in a series of video clips from the movie Radioland Murders. The goal is to catch the killer before he strikes again based on the evidence and clues that he leaves for each murder. This is set in the 1920"s at a radio station and the turning point in the industry from Television.

This week the students will preform the various labs required in the kidnapping of Jason Worth to determine who is the evil person willing to threaten a Childs' life for personal financial gain. Even though based on a true story the many decades ago, many of the safety lessons are still valid today. In this weeks activities the students will apply what they learned in the first 10 weeks of the semester and preform labs on blood, fiber, fingerprints, and a new lab on chromatography to eliminate suspects until they discover who kidnapped Jason Worth.

We begin the week with a midterm to ensure that the students now possess the skill sets to process evidence from a crime scene and solve the mystery of the case involved. Then on Wednesday we will begin our first investigation based on a historically real case of a kidnapping of a high school student. The names and places have been changed to protect the innocent and their current lives. The student was abducted from school one day and ransom demanded. The case then unfolds as greed and sloppy actions lead to the Possible recovery of the student and apprehension of the evil person(s) willing to endanger another human being for personal profit. Stay tuned as the components of the case unfold and our students put together what really happened and the outcome for Jason Worth. the final trial and reveal is scheduled for Friday April 30th.

This week is the final installment of Bones and Bites. Our learners will be learning about the pelvic bones and how they are used to identify gender of the victim. Then we will work out the details of how the skull helps osteologist identify the ethnicity of the original owner of the bones. At the end of the week, students will use the knowledge gained over the last 3 weeks to reconstruct a set of bones found at a crime scene and determine the identity of the victim.

This week our students will participate in the first part of the STAAR Test on Tuesday. On Monday and the rest of the week they will learn about long bones and how they are used in a forensics cold case situation. They will build a paper skeleton or draw and label an image and using provided measurements for the long bones determine how tall the victim was when alive. Additionally they will be able to determine the gender of the victim by proper identification of the pelvic girdle and develop a strong confidence in identifying the ethnicity of the victim based on facial bone structures.

This unit will span this and next week due to holidays and testing on Tuesday the 6th. Students will learn about the mouth and why it is no longer allowed as Key evidence in a criminal investigation. Then we will move into a study of the skeleton. What are long bones and how are they used in forensics like cold cases. What about hips and the head how are they used and what purpose do they serve. Students will learn how long bones determine stature while the hips help CSI discover the gender of the victim and Skulls can be used to determine ethnic heritage.

In the ongoing process of building material and information banks for the students, this week we will be creating the "Hair and Fiber" resource, the students will use in solving our cases as the evidence presents itself in each. Hair of humans compared to animals of several types to include dogs and cats, even a bear. Fiber will include cotton, nylon, rayon and polyester; which are all very common in everything we wear and can and usually is left behind at a crime scene as evidence of contact based on Locard's Principle which all of the students should be able to explain by this point in time.

This week the students will learn how fly maggots are an indicator of the time of death for the victim of a violent crime. This will involve the students collecting, preparing, posting and measuring maggots on a card. then they will use those measurements in the formula established from years of research by professional Entomologist to help identify the most likely time that the crime occured.

Following the survey this weeks unit will involve fingerprints. What are they, how are they obtained for forensics use, what makes each one different, and how are they used in Forensics. Is this really a career option, Yes!

Determined by class survey the students this week will be engaged in learning about blood, it types, forensics applications, and what it does for the human body

This week students will be creating their own usable vocabulary and reference guides in google slides. To be the best they must know the language of Forensics and that is the goal this week

As we resume the school year with part 2, the spring semester, all students are new to me and the curriculum being shown. We will introduce ourselves and establish our operating procedures that will follow us through the rest of this school year. the codes and meets are listed on the home page. thanks for being here

This week is the conclusion of the Firearms Research, presentation, and the semester also. Your students will finish their research and presentations of their Firearms Research and anything else needed to succeed at the end. We will physically present on Wednesday and Thursday the 27th and 28th. Friday will be the semester final assessment and tie in to core topics in science.

Thank you for the fall learning events and time with your students.

Your students will now begin an in-depth look into ballistics. What is Ballistics? Is it a career, and with whom? What is the history and why did it begin? We want to discover all that is relevant to ballistics and firearms so that intelligent educated choices can be made now and in the future regarding: identification in Forensics' situations, legislation, purchase, ownership, and maintenance. Real ammunition and weapons WILL NOT be used. All training materials are altered into non-working condition and or are clearly of Fake. all material is published and supported for secondary school purposes and or by the Fort Worth Police Department and meets the standards and educational codes of the state of Texas. Please direct any questions or concerns to Mr. Raybon through email or 817-814-4100. This content was requested by students following incorrect information found in the cases studied this semester.

With part 1 2 and 3 now complete and turned in by the majority of students Week 16 is the completion of the Murdered Mayor Case

TLW have turned in the first 2 units; profile analysis and fingerprint analysis. Now this week they will turn in the balance of the case; The analysis for blood / hair / impressions / and the alibi's and reach a verdict on the case. Was it suicide or did someone close to the mayor kill him and why?

The students will be investigating the death of Mayor Robert Burlington. This case will bring to a completion all of the labs we have learned about during the semester. The students will perform analysis on everything from blood to the caliber of the weapon used in the death of Mayor Robert Burlington. They will have to weave together the entire story and timeline of the events that led to this tragic event . All evidence will be available online, for ALL students, to adjust their work if they discover a mistake or change of direction in their investigation. Guidance will be offered and a timeline of labs followed to ensure the most accurate results possible based on student effort and proper work proceedures.

This week before the Christmas Holiday we will be learning about Entomology. How and why it is used in Forensics. What procedure is needed for this to be accurate and how accurate it really is. The study will involve the use of (artificial maggots [fishing food]) but the principles all remain the same. This is a clock for when a victim was killed in a crime event.

This week is the first week of the final 6 weeks of the fall semester. With that in mind, and the fact that we will have testing Tuesday and Wednesday for 7th and 8th graders, and then for all 8th graders on Thursday and Friday, this week will be limited to the conclusion of units begun last week. Monday I will Offer the conclusion of the current case, the Death of Lois McArthur. I have posted corrected material for the Blood Analysis and will post the finer analysis Monday morning. That will leave GSR / Alibi / and presentation of evidence, which should be prepared and turned in By Friday this week. Next Week, Week 14 we will learn about entomology, the study of maggots.

Students will solve the death of Lois Mc Arthur and determine is it suicide or murder based on the presented evidence and lab samples provided. It will take focus on fingerprints, gunshot residue, blood analysis, fiber and hair analysis, as well as access alibi's, handwriting analysis and motives from all the suspects to determine what really happened. The students will then present their results in one of a variety of methods to include but not limited to powerpoint, video, storyboard, or skit style presentation as an expert in the forensic sciences.

Over the next 2 weeks the students will develop the skill to identify hair from humans (natural and chemically treated) or animals and the differences between types of fibers and their applications and uses in industry and forensics

This week the student's will learn what blood types are and; how blood is studied and utilized in forensics investigations. They will type a sample of blood, and be able to discuss possible donor positives and negatives of transfusions. They will discover how blood samples are collected at crime scenes and then analyzed by the forensics team. The student will be able to identify the markers and example tray clues of blood types with a high degree of accuracy for the 4 blood groups.

This week we are continuing the study of skeletal bones and the human bite. Once we are able to measure and identify the height of victim along with their gender and potential ethnicity we will move to the next unit; Blood

This week Students will be introduced to the human skeleton, its long bones and the "bite" as it is used in forensics today. The student will understand how long bones provide a CSI technician with critical information for determining who the victim was. How bones tell us the victim's height / gender / and in many instances ethnicity. They will also discover new information about the human bite and why it is a topic of ongoing controversy in the court system.

This week students follow directions from class and video instruction to product a set of fingerprints. They will identify the type of print and its tiny details (minutea) then photograph the labeled prints and post it to the classroom assignment. Upon return to the physical school the students will participate in a real life matching task know as the "Fingerprint Challenge"

This week the students are building their cases for or against OJ Simpson based on the web quest we began last week. We will be reviewing and editing the work this week in order to have a higher level discussion regarding what happened and how it might have happened differently.

This week the students will be in investigation mode

they will access various web site and articles about the OJ Simpson murders and Trial to complete a in-depth report on the forensics utilized (or not) to discover the truth regarding the events that OJ Simpson was tried for. The material will cover before, during and after the trials.

What are the components of DNA

Where is DNA found

Purposed of DNA in Forensics

How to detect DNA on artifact

Simplified; How to extract DNA

Art presentation of DNA

This week we have several things to accomplish to have a successful semester

Please know and understand that virtual rules and in-class rules will not be exactly the same, that being said a few will be; 1) be on time and prepared, computer on, logged in to class, pencil or pen and paper to take quick notes for questions and directions 2) allow whomever is speaking to finish the thought and/or sentence before you jump in 3) dress appropriately and be in a good study place [remember that everyone online can see you and this includes visits from administration] 4)use the chat function in google meet to write any thoughts or questions that come up anytime

All Students have a right to be heard, so be kind as others speak, please and thank you

Be sure that your chromebook is charged every night or plugged in while you work at home. You will not have ready access to power at school when we come back.

Assignments will be posted in google classroom and reviewed in an ongoing manner

The first 3 assignments will not be too difficult but you will have to think and act correctly to score well. Virtual instruction will be based on an "A" day and "B" day schedule so for 4 weeks I will see you in meet every other day

Week at a Glance for Forensics

Monday: Sept 7 Holiday

Tuesday: Sept 8 Day One

Google classroom checkup

Goals questionnaire

Welcome back Quiz

Brainpop Cells

Wednesday: Sept 9 Day 2

Discussion Cells

Class expectations and procedures (virtual)

What are the parts of a cell and what is their function

Questions and answers, with goals

Thursday: Sept 10 day 3

Video on cells parts and functions

Discussion over video

Dissection timetable

Vocabulary discussion

Friday: Sept 11 Day 4 (Sept 11, 2001 Rememberance)

Operation Boat Lilt (Viideo) and discussion

Opportunity wheel for weekly check up with questions:

1) Why do I have to do this again?

2) Why do we have to do vocabulary?

3) Why can’t we just cut stuff up?

4)Why can’t we take home parts of what we cut up?

5) Why do we have to journal what we do?

6) Why does this room smell weird?

7) Why do we have to set goals?

8)When do we get to cut stuff up?

9) Why do we have to wear goggles?

10) Who supplies the gloves?

11) Will we ever have to build models?

12)What are the specimens we will do?