Identifying Fingerprints By: Teniesha Dawkins 8th grade

What are Fingerprints? Take a look at your fingers, now look at your fingertips. Do you notice anything on your hands? What about those lines on your fingertips? Those lines are called fingerprints. Everybody has their own unique fingerprints. Did you know that not even twins have the same fingerprints? Fingerprinting is one way you can identify a person. Even though there are many ways to identify a person one really good way is to try to identify a person by their fingerprints.

Will I be able to identify individuals who took cookies from various cookie jars by fingerprints let on the jars? Hypothesis: I will be able to identify the individuals who took cookies from each jar by their fingerprints.

How Fingerprints Help Forensic Scientists Identify People. Since everybody’s fingerprints are different it makes it easier for a person to be identified. For example, if somebody commits a crime like robbing a bank you can use certain powders determined by the color of the safe and also the counters. If the item is dark then you can use a white aluminum powder. If it is light then you can use fine carbon powders. If the surface is hard and it doesn't absorb anything then you can just dust the surface and then the print or prints will become visible.

Names of Fingerprint Marks Since there are many fingerprints they have names so that we won't get confused. Just like they are many fingerprints, there are many names for the fingerprints. For example, fingerprints with wavy characteristics are called waves. Therefore, if you see a fingerprint that has similar marks like waves and then fingerprints with a more difficult mark like a radial loop you would know who the fingerprints belonged to.

Procedures I am going to pick three students. I going to get six black glass cookie jars. I am get six different kinds of cookies. I will put one kind of cookie in each of the six jars. I will leave the room for two minutes as the students take the cookies from the cookie jars. By using my knowledge about the characteristics of fingerprints I will be able to determine who took the cookies from the cookie jars. I will lift the finger prints from each jar and compare them with the prepared hard copy finger print database of the students in the experiment. CookiesSataraRashanJoshuaKylaNiaPrince Oreo Chips Ahoy Lornado one NutterB utter Wheat Thins SataraRashanJoshuaKylaNiaPrince RRRRRR LLLLLL Fingerprint Database Comparison Prints

SataraRashanJoshuaKylaNiaPrince

CookiesSataraRashanJoshuaKylaNiaPrince Oreo Chips Ahoy Lornadoone NutterButter Wheat Thins

This chart shows some types of fingerprints and their names.

This is another chart but the prints are more sophisticated than the other prints.

A fingerprinting database diagram like the one above can be helpful in solving crimes when comparing prints left at a crime scene.

This is one of the powders Forensic Scientists use to dust off surfaces to find fingerprints

Conclusion If you have knowledge of finger print types you can identify who they belong to as long as you have a finger prints to compare them.

My Resources Good URL’s for my project - A website explaining how forensic science or crime scene investigation works and it also makes it easy for kids to understand A website about fingerprints and how they are found. Google docs Gmail PowerPoint Google Search I will share my project with 3-8 graders by use the Smart board, project and laptop.

More Resources Good URL’s for my project Types of fingerprints and their name’s.