Mrs. Tweedie September 2010

Run your fingers across the palm of your hand. How does it feel? Part 1A: Introducing Carbon Printing

Even though your hands feel smooth, they have texture. High and low places on a surface give it texture. Part 1A

The difference between the high and low places on the skin of the palm of the hand is very slight. Consequently we do not often see them. We need special techniques to help us see things such as skin texture. Part 1A

How can we look for patterns on finely textured objects like fingers? Part 1A

Carbon Printing Demonstration Part 1A

Your Turn: Materials: Tape Pencil 2 Small Post it Notes Magnifying Glass Part 1A

Carbon Printing Directions: 1. Get a small piece of scratch paper. 2. Scribble on it with a pencil. 3. Rub (don’t roll) the scribble mark on your thumb. Make sure to cover the whole pad (center) of the thumb to the first bend. 4. Stick a piece of tape onto the thumb the long way so the tape is running along the thumb rather than across it. Part 1

Introducing the Three Basic Patterns Fingerprint investigators have discovered that there are three basic patterns for most fingerprints-arch, loop, and whorl. Part 1A

Arch fingerprints are characterized by lines that start on one side of the print, rise, fall, and exit on the opposite side of the print. Part 1

Loop fingerprints are characterized by lines that start on one side of the print, rise, and then turn around and exit on the same side. Part 1

Whorl fingerprints are characterized by lines that go in circles. All lines come back to the place where they started. Part 1

Which one is your thumb print? Part 1A

Making a Bar Graph Part 1A

Today we are going to make a carbon printing of all of our fingers and thumb. You will need: Materials: Tape (5 pieces) Pencil 1 Large Post it Note Magnifying Glass Carbon Printing Student Sheet #5

Make a carbon print of each of your fingers and thumb. Identify each finger/thumb as an arch, loop, or whorl. Part 1B

The process of transferring ink from the high points of a textured surface to paper to produce an image is printing. Part 1 Vocabulary Basic fingerprint patterns are whorl, arch, and loop. A bar graph is a way of organizing the results of an investigation to compare different things.

Content/Inquiry Entry How can the carbon-printing technique help us learn more about fingerprints? How are fingerprints the same and different? (Teacher Reads: Fingerprints)

Fingerprints are unique to each person, they are a clue to a person’s identity. How could you tell who was the last person to pick up an apple?

Someone has been bringing presents to the teacher. Last week a candy bar, this week an apple. In order to thank the gift giver, the teacher would like to find out who it is.

You will be the detectives on the case. The apple had a nice fingerprint on it. The print has been lifted from the apple and is stuck her to this card labeled “Mystery Person.” Your job is to compare the prints of four students in a group who were seen in the room and determine which student left the apple.

Materials: Pencils Roll of tape Hand lenses Large post-it note 5 index cards Moist paper towels Student Sheet #7: Solving a Mystery

Directions 1. Get 5 index cards and a roll of tape. 2. Each person uses the carbon technique 3. to make a suspect card with two prints. A. One index finger B. One thumb print 4. Stick the two prints on an index card. 5. Write your name on the card. This is now a suspect card. 6. Decide who in your group is the mystery person giving presents to the teacher. Keep it a secret from the other groups. 7. Make a carbon print of the mystery person’s index finger or thumb print, but not both. 8. Stick the mystery print on an index card and label it “Mystery Person.” 9. Switch cards with another group. Solve the mystery.

You can now use imagination and creativity to make inventions with carbon printing. You could: 1. Invent a fingerprint detective game. 2. Invent a carbon-printing art project. 3. Invent a toe-print project. 4. Invent a different way to make fingerprints. (Teacher read Covering Up Her Mistakes and An Inventive Farmer?)