Embedded Files
"A Body of Clues": How can we, as experts, determine what happened to John and Jane?
"A Body of Clues": How can we, as experts, determine what happened to John and Jane?
This is the final assignment for a BTEC Forensic Science Unit (Forensic Evidence, Collection and Analysis).
In this project, students experienced and developed their knowledge and skills by taking part in a simulated crime scene investigation, from collecting the evidence, through the analysis and finally presenting their results in a variety of formats for use in the Criminal Justice System. As scientists, they visited a courtroom and worked with experts. As a result of this they planned, wrote and produced a case file.
Students in this project visited the Crown Court in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to watch real-life cases, and were visited by a former police Forensic Investigator who explained the crime scene forensic process. They then simulated a courtroom in their lab, taking the roles of the prosecution, defence and witnesses, and deciding as a jury whether there was enough forensic and verbal evidence to make a conviction.
Skills development:
•Independent enquirers - researching forensic applications of analytical techniques.
•Team workers - working as a team to process a crime scene, adapting behaviour to suit different roles and situations.
•Effective participators - acting as an expert witness in role play activities and contributing to the successful processing of a crime scene.
•Self-managers - organising time and resources to complete processing of crime scene.
Cultural and social capital:
This project developed authentic scientific skills linked to the field of forensic science and criminal law. Students met ex-police officers from a real forensics team, dealt with real-world scenarios, and visited the law courts in Newcastle-uponTyne. As well as cultural and social links, the project developed research and literacy skills which would be needed in their future education and careers, such as creating expert witness statements; creating expert verbal reports; engaging in collaborative conversation; presenting ideas with evidence in the courtroom; and peer critique.
Project timeline:
Launch event/ Final product and showcase:
Launch event: Visit to Newcastle Law Courts. Students observed a variety of cases taking place by sitting in the public viewing gallery. They completed a workbook and debriefed the visit on their return to the lab. They then had a second launch event with a visit from a forensic investigator who launched the “crime” that they would be “solving”. This led onto the analysis of the crime scene that they had examined earlier (due to timings of the course, this element was done in a previous week).
Showcase: Individual product – Students produced their own case file which contained an awareness that case files are built up over time and cases can remain open. They shared these with the class. The team product was displayed on the classroom noticeboard.
For the full case study and more information, see the PBL planning guide.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse