Forensic Science as First Year Seminar CWCS Session 37 July 29, 2008 Victoria Collins, Warren Wilson College

Benefits of CWCS Workshop Skills, techniques and confidence to try things Skills, techniques and confidence to try things Great resources and bibliography Great resources and bibliography See my website for experiments, tips, sources and suppliers See my website for experiments, tips, sources and suppliers wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fys wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fys

Goals For New Students Engage students – retention to graduation Engage students – retention to graduation Popular topic – J. Chem. Educ. June 2008 Popular topic – J. Chem. Educ. June 2008 Group identity - peer group Group identity - peer group Critical thinking skills Critical thinking skills Writing and library use Writing and library use Research paper on historical crimes Research paper on historical crimes Excite students about chemistry Excite students about chemistry

Reading and Writing Saferstein: Criminalistics Saferstein: Criminalistics Crime Case studies Crime Case studies Audri Kowalyk’s series Audri Kowalyk’s series Other print and on line sources Other print and on line sources Laboratory reports show need for documentation Laboratory reports show need for documentation

Trace evidence and chemistry Chemistry of glass and fibers Chemistry of glass and fibers Hair microscopy Hair microscopy Refractive index Refractive index Glass fragments show source and fracture Glass fragments show source and fracture / tatepapers/05spring/freemantle.htm

Blood Spatters and Bite Marks Reconstruction by geometry Reconstruction by geometry Distance from surface Distance from surface Trigonometry gives angles Trigonometry gives angles Get animal blood from veterinary labs Get animal blood from veterinary labs Look at dental records – learn anatomy Look at dental records – learn anatomy Bite marks on Bite marks on styrofoam plates styrofoam plates

Forensic Anthropology Cool anatomy lessons Cool anatomy lessons Find bones from biology, anthropology departments and Bone Clones Find bones from biology, anthropology departments and Bone Clones Relate to social sciences Relate to social sciences and history and history Radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating activity for Gen chem activity for Gen chem

Drug Analysis: Surprisingly easy chemistry Field test kits inexpensive Field test kits inexpensive False positives with lab chemicals False positives with lab chemicals Confirmatory tests using GC/MS Confirmatory tests using GC/MS Cocaine on money: see U. Buffalo’s Center for Case Studies in Science Cocaine on money: see U. Buffalo’s Center for Case Studies in Science 1 mg standards available without license 1 mg standards available without license Spike fake urine or blood Spike fake urine or blood

Arson using GC Make fire debris Make fire debris Headspace SPME Headspace SPME GC- FID GC- FID Adaptable for HS Adaptable for HS See case study See case study

DNA Analysis Commercial kits cost about $150 for class Commercial kits cost about $150 for class Thermocycler, electrophoresis from Biology Department Thermocycler, electrophoresis from Biology Department Students can understand Students can understand STR and probabilities STR and probabilities Worth long class Worth long class /

Crime Scene Victim was possible drug dealer Victim was possible drug dealer Willing actors: girlfriend, jealous suitor, drug kingpin Willing actors: girlfriend, jealous suitor, drug kingpin Should solidify group Should solidify group Students timid about Students timid about tracking down suspects tracking down suspects

Success/ Disappointment Popular topic – upper class demand Popular topic – upper class demand Writing successful Writing successful Ideas for other chem courses Ideas for other chem courses Student retention in college <60% Student retention in college <60% 30% of returning students chem majors 30% of returning students chem majors Lack of teamwork on crime scene Lack of teamwork on crime scene

Looking Back and Ahead CWCS workshop extremely valuable CWCS workshop extremely valuable Check my website: wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fys Check my website: wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fyswww.warren- wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fyswww.warren- wilson.edu/~vcollins/forensic_fys Lots more links, recipes and tips on guns, explosives, fingerprints…. Lots more links, recipes and tips on guns, explosives, fingerprints….

Alcohol Intoxilyzer uses IR: explain in gen chem Intoxilyzer uses IR: explain in gen chem Redox chemistry of dichromate oxidation Redox chemistry of dichromate oxidation Toxicology for freshmen Toxicology for freshmen

Special Issues All freshmen All freshmen Divergent interests Divergent interests Advising new students Advising new students Introduction to library Introduction to library Napoleon and As poisoning? Napoleon and As poisoning? Required research paper Required research paper on historical crimes on historical crimes html

Fingerprinting Easy activity for pre-college groups Easy activity for pre-college groups Classification of prints Classification of prints Dusting powders, fluorescent and colored Dusting powders, fluorescent and colored Techniques for latent prints Techniques for latent prints Ninhydrin Ninhydrin Super glue Super glue Simple crime scene Simple crime scene blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2006/03/22/index. html