4420 Forensic Science Syllabus Susquehanna Twp. High School           Ms. Evans

Website: http://www.susq-town.org/evans/forensic_science_homepageFall05.htm

email : mevans@hannasd.org

 Critical Competencies:

1.     Demonstrate a knowledge and comprehension of scientific concepts through a variety of assessments.

2.     Develop laboratory skills of observation, measurement, interpretation, analysis and evaluation of scientific data.

3.     Foster analytical thinking as the primary technique for problem solving.

4.     Solve problems using scientific inquiry methods.

 Overview

(Tentative)

Week #1:The History of Forensic Science (Exchange Principle Demo, Bertillon Anthropometrics Lab)

Week #2-3:Forensics as a Science and Timelines (Timeline Lab)

Week #3-5 Blood Evidence (Blood ID Lab, Blood Spatter Lab)

Week #5 Recognition, collection and preservation of physical evidence

Week # 6 – 7 Impression Evidence: Tires and shoe (Tire Lab, Shoe Lab)

Week #8 Impression Evidence: Dental and Lip Patterns (Dental Impression Lab, Lipstick Lab)

Week #9 –10  Forensic Entomology and Postmortem Interval (deer lab)

Week #11-12 Fingerprinting (Prints Lab, Latent Lab, AFIS lab)

Week #13 Physical Evidence: Glass (Glass Lab)

Week #14 Trace Physical Evidence: Hair (Hair Labs)

Week #15 Trace Physical Evidence: Fibers (Fibers Lab)

Week #16 – 18 Trace Physical Evidence: Soil and Forensic Geology (GIS Lab)

Week #19-20 Questioned Documents/ Examination (Handwriting Analysis Lab)

Week # 21 - 22 More physical evidence – tool marks, lip prints and lipsticks (labs)

Week #23 - 24 DNA Fingerprinting (DNA lab)

Week #25- 26 Ballistics (ballistics lab)

 Week # 27-28 Evidence in the Courtroom, Fry and Daubert Rules

Week # 28 Crime Reporting – visit from Patriot-News Reporter

Week# 29-31 Forensic Archaeology and Physical Anthropology (excavation lab)

Week # 32-33 Forensic Psychology and Criminal Profiling 

Week # 34- 35 Homicide Investigations and Serial Killers

Week #36 – 37 Principles of Reconstruction (process and map a crime scene)

Week # 38 Review and final exam

REQUIREMENTS: a composition style (hardbound) notebook, pen/pencil, calculator, loose-leaf paper and a folder.  You must bring your Criminalistics Textbook to class everyday.

Class Rules-

  1. Absolutely no food or drink, including water bottles, outside the cafeteria.
  2. No bad language in my class. I personally will not tolerate any use of curse words in or out of my class.
  3. Class disruptions will not be tolerated. This is especially the case during instruction time. Example#1: If you are talking during my instruction, this behavior is disruptive and I am considering it disrespectful. Example # 2: There should be no reason for you to get up and walk around the class during instruction. If you needed get a pencil, paper, or throw something away in the trash, do it before or after class.

Classroom Procedures

  1. Students will maintain an organized Composition Style notebook containing all class notes and experiment lab reports. Composition books will be collected on a regular basis.
  2. The student will maintain a folder containing worksheets, homework assignments and study guides. All materials will be included in quizzes, tests, and exams
  3. The student will be expected to study and prepare for all test and quizzes.
  4. The student will complete all homework assignments and lab reports on time. Points will be deducted from the total number of possible points for each day that the assignment is late.
  5. Students will be on time and in your assigned seat before the tardy bell. If you are not at your seat when the bell rings, you are tardy.
  6. Excused tardy: If you sit down in your assigned seat after the bell has rung and  you have an excused pass, do not stop to show me the pass. I do not want you to disrupt my class. CLIP your pass on my class folder and I will check the pass and return it to you before the end of class.
  7. Unexcused tardy: If you are in your assigned seat after the tardy bell has rung, I will assume you are unexcused tardy. You will be given one warning. The next time you are unexcused tardy will be written up.
  8. If you get called to the office: I will place your name on the blackboard with the reporting time and name of the person making the request. An office pass will be issued to you.
  9. Lavatory passes- will not be issued until 10 minutes into the class period and not 10 before the end of the period. These are the most crucial times during my instruction.
  10. Lavatory passes will not be issued to anyone without their own student handbook. I do not write passes to get a drink of water, so please do not ask.
  11. If you miss a class or lab because of an excused absence, you are responsible to make up the work in a timely manner. Please do not come to me at the start of class to ask what you missed. You can find me after school in room 224.
  12. Lab makeup times are scheduled with Ms. Evans on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in room 224 from 2:55 - 3:40 PM. Incompletes will be given only if the student has a substantial amount of excused absences. (Example: long term illness or an emergency at home). You have 2 weeks from the start of the new marking period to make up Incompletes.
  13. Students are responsible for all make up work. Work missed due to undocumented or unexcused absences will result in an automatic 0 points for the missed assignments, Labs, quizzes or tests. 

  EVALUATION: (Each marking period) 
Grading is based on a point system.  Grades include: homework (15%) and class work and video reviews (25%); Laboratory Reports and participation (40 -50%); and Tests and Quizzes (10-20%)

Final Exam is 1/5 of grade for the year. It is now possible to score below a 50% on the final. (a Crime Scene Reconstruction is part of the Final Exam Grade)

Homework (8 points/week) 2 reading assignments per week recorded on your reading log (2 points each) and 1 written assignment called a Factual Synopsis and Summary (4 points each), which is always due on Monday.  Forms are available on my school website.

Video reviews and Class work (75-125 points/quarter) Students will be required to answer a concept check questions after viewing a Forensic File episode or during a movie.

Test and Quiz (50-100 points/quarter) Test and quiz questions will be based on notes, labs, videos , class work and handouts.

Lab report and lab participation (200- 250 points/quarter) Depending on the length of the laboratory investigation, students will be required to keep; pre-lab discussion notes, written procedures, data tables, sketches, data analysis in the form of graphs, and conclusion questions.

Since this is a course based on investigations, the largest percentage of your grade is based on laboratory notes, lab work, participation and the write-ups. Therefore, if you are absent, it is extremely important that you arrange to makeup the lab after school.

Research Project- a major library research project will be assigned during the 3rd Marking Period. It will be due prior to the 3rd Marking Period progress report.