FORENSIC BIOLOGY COURSE OUTLINE
FALL TERM (82 days)
Unit 1- Overview of Forensic Science (15)
1. How can we classify the science of forensics? AI book- getting started Murder at the Mansions, Go over the historical
development of forensics, student activity- EXPLORE on page 6
2. Why does forensics science rely on the scientific method?
 Conduct a forensic lab using the scientific method Old McDonald’s farm
3. How do CSI’s process crime scenes?
4. How is forensic evidence analyzed
5. How is admissibility determined by the courts?
6. How does the judicial process influence forensic science?- EXPLORE on page 19
7. Capstone Project 9: Landmark cases in the acceptance of evidence
8. Jack and Jill: Forensics Style AI
9. Sock Lab Activity 1-3
10. Hot case gone cold- Project 1(Laptops or computer lab)
11. Create your own crime scene: Keep everyone guessing- Project 2
12. Forensic Science career exploration- Capstone project 6
13. How reliable is the evidence- Capstone project 10
14. Review for Exam
15. Assessment 1
Unit 2- Interrogation and Forensic Reporting (9)
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How can we distinguish between interviews and interrogations?
How can we conduct a proper interrogation?
How can we describe the process of ethics in forensics?
Sibling Rivalry SPOT
Drive-by Shooting- Activity 2-1
Ethical Errors- Activity 2-2
Interrogation Station: A Role Playing Activity- Activity 2-4
Review for Exam
Assessment 2
Unit 3- Forensic Laboratory Techniques (12)
1. How do we distinguish between presumptive and confirmatory tests? Read Where is
Laci? ENGAGE- p. 72.
2. Introduction to Microscopy
3. Chromatography
4. Fingerprint-developing techniques
5. A Tale of Two Brothers SPOT
6. Separating Mixtures- Activity 3-1
7. Microscopy- Activity 3-2
8. Paper Chromatography- Activity 3-3
9. Smooch- Activity 3-4
10. Fingerprinting- Activity 3-5
11. Assessment review
12. Assessment 3
Unit 4- Introduction to blood as Forensic Evidence (16)
1. Blood paints a picture- the history and composition of blood
2. Blood typing
3. Probability and blood types
4. A presumptive test for blood- Activity 8-1
5. Blood typing lab
6. History and Biology of Blood splatter analysis
7. Examination of directionality of blood
8. Lines of convergence
9. Blood splatter analysis: Effect of Height on Blood drops- Activity 8-3
10. Blood-splatter impact angle- Activity 8-4
11. Area of convergence- Activity 8-5
12. Point of Origin- Activity 8-6
13. Crime Scene Investigation- Activity 8-7
14. Virtual Lab- Blood Splatter Analysis
15. Assessment review
16. Assessment 4
Unit 5- Concepts in DNA (30)
1. Introduction to the structure and function of DNA
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14. Assessment review
15. Assessment 5
16-18. Lab: Variability, Inheritance, DNA Structure, and DNA Isolation
19-21. Lab: Bacterial Transformation or Protein Isolation
22-24. Lab: DNA Analysis and Forensics
25-27. Lab: PCR and Human DNA Variation, Parts I & II
28. Virtual Lab: DNA Fingerprinting
29. Assessment Review
30. Assessment 5
SPRING TERM (103 days
Unit 6- Physiology of Drugs, Alcohol and Poisons (16)
1. History of Toxicology
2. Controlled substances
3. Toxicological testing and procedures
4. Alcohol in the body
5. Poisons
6. Drug Analysis- Activity 9-1
7. Urine analysis- Activity 9-2
8. Drug identification 9-3
9. SPOT The case of the sleepy driver
10. Get to the vet- Activity 9-1
11. Immunoassay- Activity 9-2
12. Urine analysis- Activity 9-3
13. Blood alcohol calculations- Activity 9-4
14. Virtual lab- Toxicology
15. Assessment review
16. Assessment 6
Unit 7- Forensic implications of the Body Systems (17)
1. Introduction to anatomy and physiology
2. The circulatory system
3. The circulatory system
4. Forensic implications of the circulatory system
5. The respiratory system
6. The respiratory system
7. Forensic Implications of the respiratory system
8. The muscular system
9. The muscular system
10. Forensic implications of the muscular system
11. Forensic implications of other body systems
12. Forensic implications of other body systems
13. SPOT- Love’s murder
14. Anatomy of a chicken wing- Activity 6-1
15. Dem Bones- Activity 6-2
16. Assessment Review
17. Assessment 7
Unit 8- Forensic Anthropology (12)
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Introduction to the skeletal system
What can bones tell us
How to distinguish age
How to estimate height and race
5. The Romanovs- Common Core
6. Determining the age of a skull- Activity 13-1
7. Bones: Male of Female Activity 13-2
8. The Romanovs and DNA: An internet activity 13-3
9. Estimation of body size from individual bones Activity 13-4
10. What the bones tell us- Activity 13-5
11. Medical examiner’s findings- Activity 13-6
12. Virtual Lab: Forensic Anthropology
Unit 9- Forensic Odontology (8)
1. The bite marks that brought down a killer- Introduction to the structure and function of
teeth
2. Use of teeth to estimate physical characteristics
3. Use of teeth to determine positive identification
4. Case studies- Helle Crafts/ Yugoslavian war- close activity page 329
5. SPOT- The Hitman- 333-334
6. Casings- Activity 11-1
7. Bite Mark Comparisons- Activity 11-2
8. Comparison of animal teeth- Activity 11-3
Unit 10- Physical Trauma (8)
1. Introduction to physical trauma
2. Evidence of Physical Trauma
3. Types of Trauma
4. SPOT- Best of Friends
5. Stab Wounds- Activity 7-1
6. Bone Trauma- Activity 7-2
7. Assessment Review
8. Assessment
Unit 11- Forensic Entomology (13)
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Introduction to forensic entomology- Historical development, insects and forensics
Postmortem interval (PMI), collecting insects and factors affecting insect activity
SPOT- Model down
Body Bugs- Activity 12-1
A world of insects- Activity 12-2
Insect Collection- Activity 12-3
What ‘bugs’ bugs- activity 12-4
9. Visible proofs- entomology
10. Forensic Entomology Case Study- Capstone Project 7
11. Using Forensic Entomology to Solve Crimes- Capstone Project 8
12. Assessment review
13. Assessment
Unit 12- Pathology and Autopsy (19)
1. Introduction/ History of Coroners and medical Examiners
2. 3 steps of a death investigation
3. The autopsy report
4. Pig Dissection
5. Pig Dissection
6. Pig Dissection
7. Cat Dissection
8. Cat Dissection
9. Cat Dissection
10. Cat Dissection
11. Cat Dissection
12. Cat Dissection
13. Cat Dissection
14. Cat Dissection
15. Cat Dissection
16. Cat Dissection
17. Assessment Review
18. Assessment
19. Virtual Lab- Death/Autopsy
CAPSTONE PROJECT- BODY DUMP 10 days