East Carolina AIG Camp

July 2014
Volume 1, Issue 1
F rensic Files
Points to
Ponder:

There are at
least three
different
perspectives.
What you see,
what they see,
and what is
actually there.


We do not
remember
exactly what we
see. Our
memories are
affected by
opinions,
expectations,
emotions, and
other subjective
factors.

Every contact
leaves a trace.
Inside this Issue:
Chromatography Experiment 2
Online Forensic Resources 2
The Innocence Project 3
Forensics 101 for Parents 4

Congratulations on your
recent acceptance into the
prestigious Academy of
Forensic Science. We are
so excited to have you
and can't wait to put your
gifted minds to good use.
Get ready for a rewarding,
yet challenging week as
you transform from middle
school students to
forensic specialists.
During the week you will
have the opportunity to
explore many different
aspects of forensic
science including,
The Academy of Forensic Science
Welcome Class of 2014

MEET YOUR TEACHERS












crime documentation,
fingerprinting, and trace
evidence. You will engage
in authentic forensic
practices and INTERACT
with team members to
help gather evidence to
solve a high profile case.
For your final task you will
have to deliver a
persuasive visual/oral
presentation that identifies
the perpetrator of the
crime and use evidence
collected throughout the
week to defend your
accusation. Your job over
the next four days is to
prove to us that you are a
worthy of being apart of
this elite program.
Do you think you have
what it takes?

Mrs. Bayse is currently an AIG
teacher at A.G. Cox Middle school.
She just completed her 1
st
year
teaching and is passionate about
meeting the needs of gifted
learners.
Learn more by visiting her website:
www.msbayseaig.weebly.com

Ms. Scheppegrell is a second
grade teacher at Indian Land
Elementary School. She is
currently completing her Masters
of Education at East Carolina
University. Ms. Scheppegrell is an
enthusiastic teacher with high
educational standards.






Materials needed:
5 different black pens (not
ball point)
Paper towels
Scissors
Bowl filled with one inch
water
Tape





Online Forensic Resources

Instructions:
1. Cut the paper towel into strips about 1 inch wide.
2. Using one of your black pens, draw a squiggly line
across a strip of paper towel about an inch from the
bottom. Do the same for all the pens. Make sure to
label the strips, so you know which one goes with
which pen.
3. Hang the strip over a bowel of water. The water
should touch the very end of the paper towel, but not
the ink.
4. Tape the paper towels in place and wait to see what
happens! The water should creep up the strips and
separate each link mark into a cool dye pattern. This
is called chromatography.


Black ink is black ink, right? Maybe not! Even though the ink from different
pens look the same, it might actually be made of many different dyes. You
can separate the dyes in the ink from different pens to make different
patterns.
We encourage you to visit these online forensic resources as you are
working on becoming a forensic expert.
Go on web adventures while learning about investigation methods, collecting
evidence, and analyzing it back at the lab.
www.forensicscience.org/resources/forensics-for-kids

Examine authentic criminal investigations through six interactive cases.
http://forensics.rice.edu

Learn about fingerprints and create your own virtual print.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/body/create-dna-fingerprint.html

Explore the Federal Bureau of Investigation and participate in simulation activities.
http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids-investigate

This is a fun website for exploring all of the forensic disciplines and important cases.
http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzforsci.html

Make it a mystery!
Have a friend write a note on a paper towel using
one of the pens, but make sure you dont know
which pen is being used. Compare the patterns
from the pens to the pattern from the note to see
which pen wrote the note.
CHROMATOGRAPHY EXPERIMENT
There are at least 3 different perspectives.
What YOU see, what THEY see, and what is ACTUALLY there.








THE INNOCENCE PROJECT








The Innocence Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to
exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and
reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The
organization was founded in 1992 by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld.
To date, the work of the Innocence Project has freed 316 wrongfully
convicted people, including 18 who spent time on death row.



DID YOU KNOW.
Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful
convictions nationwide, playing a role in nearly 75% of convictions
overturned through DNA testing.
While eyewitness testimony can be persuasive evidence before a judge
or jury, 30 years of strong social science research has proven that
eyewitness identification is often unreliable. Research shows that the
human mind is not like a tape recorder; we neither record events
exactly as we see them, nor recall them like a tape that has been
rewound. Instead, witness memory is like any other evidence at a crime
scene; it must be preserved carefully and retrieved deliberately, or it
can be contaminated.


We do not remember exactly what we see. Our
memories are affected by opinions, expectations,
emotions, and other subjective factors.
New Jersey Exoneree
Urges State to Fix DNA
Testing Law

Gerard Richardson served 19
years in prison for murder
before DNA evidence proved
he was innocent.
Unfortunately, the states DNA
testing law prevents
authorities from uploading the
test results into the federal
DNA database and possibly
identifying the actual murderer
To read the full story go to:
http://www.innocenceproject.o
rg/Content/New_Jersey_Exon
eree_Urges_State_to_Fix_DN
A_Testing_Law.php

For more information about The Innocence Project visit
http://www.innocenceproject.org/






















What is Forensic Science?
Forensic science is simply the application of natural sciences to matters of
the law. In other words Forensic scientists use scientific knowledge and
methodology to identify and evaluate physical evidence to help prove or
disprove a case.

Forensic specialist work around Edmond Locards exchange principle
which states, Every contact leaves a trace. This basically means that at
the scene of any crime, traces can be found that were left behind by the
criminal. It is up to a forensic scientist to find these traces and use them as
evidence to solve a case.

What types of evidence are collected?
There are two types of evidence collected while a case is under
investigation, testimonial and physical evidence.

Testimonial evidence refers to any oral or written statements by
witnesses to an event.

Physical evidence refers to any material items that are present at a
crime scene, on a victim, or in a suspects possession.
Types of physical evidence include DNA, documents,
fingerprints, firearms, glass, hairs and fibers, insects, soils,
tracks, and tool impressions

Every contact leaves a trace. Edmond Locard
FORENSICS 101 FOR PARENTS


EXTENSION IDEAS
#1 INTERACT
Join the Young Forensic Scientists Forum by going to www.yfsf.aafs.org
This is a group dedicated to the education, enrichment, and development of emerging forensic scientists and
future leaders of the world. Get access to semi-annual newsletters, mentorship programs, and an array of
professional and educational resources.

#2 INTERVIEW
Call your local police station and set up an interview for your child with a forensic specialist in the area. Help
your child prepare helpful interview questions in advance.

#3 ENGAGE
Sign up for other forensic summer camps and programs. Many colleges offer forensic science camps that
allow students to engage in crime scene simulations, participate in forensic workshops, and interact with
forensic experts.