Cookie Jar Mystery Sample

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A Study in Forensic ScienceInstructor’s Guideby Anthony J. Bertino

Cookie JarMysteryMystery©

Cookie JarThe


Preface .................................................................................................... iiiIntroduction ..................................................................................................... vLesson 1: Heads Up

Observation Skills ..................................................................... 1Lesson 2: Beyond the Naked Eye

Handwriting Analysis ............................................................... 9Lesson 3: Think Ink

Ink Chromatography ..............................................................19Lesson 4: Evidence on the Move

Locard’s Principle ....................................................................27Lesson 5: The White Stuff

White Substances and Toxicology ........................................35Lesson 6: Pull Some Strings

Fiber Analysis ..........................................................................41Lesson 7: Hair We Go

Hair Samples ............................................................................49Lesson 8: Follow the Grain

Pollen Analysis ........................................................................57Lesson 9: Make an Impression

Bite Marks ................................................................................63Lesson 10: Shoo-In

Shoe Print Evidence ................................................................69Lesson 11: Bloody Brilliant

Blood Types .............................................................................77Lesson 12: One of a Kind

Fingerprint Evidence ..............................................................83Lesson 13: Crack the Code

DNA ..........................................................................................93Lesson 14: Let’s Talk

Questioning Our Suspects ...................................................101Lesson 15: Who Dunnit?

Examining & Analyzing All the Evidence ........................113Glossary ..................................................................................................119Appendix National Science Education Standards................................123

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Table of Contents


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Instructor’s note: please read this to students prior to beginning the course or, if that’s not possible, at the first lesson. This will help to build intrigue for The Cookie Jar Mystery.

The Cookie Jar MysteryMrs. Randall is a science teacher. She enjoys baking chocolate chip cookies and sharing them with her students. One morning when Mrs. Randall entered her classroom, she found her favorite cookie jar in pieces on the floor. She had baked cookies the day before, but now only a few pieces of broken cookies were left on the floor, next to the pieces of the cookie jar.

Mrs. Randall loves to teach, and she loves to use science to solve mysteries and answer questions. She decided to use “forensic science” to solve this mystery of the broken cookie jar, and she got her students to help her. Now she wants you to use forensic science to solve the mystery, too!

What is forensic science? Forensic science is science that relates to the law. The word “forensic” means anything related to the handing out, or administration, of justice. You will look at the clues left in Mrs. Randall’s classroom and use forensic science to decide who broke the cookie jar and ate the missing cookies.

On the morning that Mrs. Randall discovered the broken cookie jar, she entered her classroom from the door at the back of the room. She set some books and papers on the work counter, then she checked on the plants her students were growing on the windowsills. It was when Mrs. Randall got to the front of the classroom that she saw her favorite cookie jar on the floor in pieces. The door to the storage cabinet where Mrs. Randall usually kept the cookie jar was open, and pieces of cookies were scattered between the cabinet and Mrs. Randall’s desk. It was a mess.

Mrs. Randall stopped by the front work table while she thought about what she should do. She knew it was important not to touch anything that could give clues about who had broken the cookie jar. But she had to get ready for her class to come in. She decided to look at everything carefully and take notes about what she found. She took a digital photo of the crime scene. Then she put anything that looked unusual

or out of place into a box so she could look at it all carefully later. And she made a map that showed where everything was.

Here is what she found on the floor: pieces of the broken cookie jar, pieces of cookies, lots of crumbs, a couple of pieces of broken cookie jar that looked like they had something on them, and an old science test. Then Mrs. Randall swept the floor and looked at everything in the dustpan carefully. She noticed some hair and maybe some threads or tiny, tiny pieces of material. She put it all in plastic bags to analyze later.

When Mrs. Randall went to her desk with the box, she found something else: a note and a half-eaten cookie! She put the note and the half-eaten cookie in the box, too. Who could have done this, she wondered. Later, she decided it had to be one of four suspects. The suspects are #1_____________(male), #2____________(female), #3____________(female) and #4_______________(female, sister of #3), students who had the opportunity to be in her classroom while she was out.

You will be a Crime Scene Investigator to help solve this mystery. Your instructor will be your Chief. Are you ready to solve this mystery?

Introduction


Heads Up!

Instructor’s Guide Copyright © Community Learning LLC. All rights reserved.

Lesson 1


unreliable because people often have their attention focused elsewhere and miss events. Further, people’s fear or anger can often interfere with their ability to make shrewd observations.

In the first activity in this lesson, students will have the opportunity to witness a crime in the classroom. Because the appearance of the “criminal” will be unanticipated, students may not realize that they are expected to notice details about the visitor in the classroom. This is the same position witnesses may find themselves in when a crime takes place in front of them.

The subsequent activities will lead students to think about their observation skills. What strategies might they employ to become more effective witnesses? You will guide them through observations, discussions and an analysis of two different photographs. Further, students will be introduced to The Cookie Jar Mystery when they study a photo of the cookie jar crime scene. These activities are provided to stimulate your students’ abilities to recall and accurately describe various situations. The students will begin to understand that there are many different sources of information in a crime scene investigation.

Notes for the Students We are often in a hurry. Many situations occur around us daily that we do not notice. Much of what we think about a person is based on appearance and gestures—how a person looks, walks, stands, positions his or her head and moves his or her hands. With just a quick glance at a stranger, how much do we notice? How well do we really observe events?

One tool in crime investigation is the statement of an eyewitness. An eyewitness is someone who was at or near a crime and saw something happen that may have to do with the crime. Perhaps the witness saw someone running from a crime scene. Perhaps a witness got a license plate number. Perhaps a witness is a crime victim. Normally, investigators try to talk

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ObjectivesStudents will:

accurately describe an event

eyewitness reporting

MaterialsInstructor:

The Cookie Jar Mystery crime scene photo

Students (per group of four):

Preparation 1. Prearrange to have a non-class member, preferably an adult, visit your class (see details under Activity 1).2. Prepare student supply bins (1 per team) with materials. 3. Have photo of The Cookie Jar Mystery crime scene ready to display where the group can see it.4. Organize students in teams of four. 5. Place practice pictures #1 and #2 face down on the table in front of each team of students.

Notes for the InstructorAs consumers of such popular television programs as Law and Order and the old Perry Masonmysteries, adults are well acquainted with the notion that eyewitness accounts frequently differ from person to person. How is this possible?

As an introduction to The Cookie Jar Mystery,Lesson One is focused on observation skills. This lesson lays the groundwork for understanding the role of eyewitness testimony and suspect statements in solving a mystery. Eyewitness testimony is very

Heads Up: Observation SkillsLesson 1


When you are distracted by retrieving something such as a stapler, the visitor should surreptitiously “steal” something from your desk (perhaps an apple, a bag of cookies). The entire encounter should last about 30 seconds, and no longer.

4. After the visitor leaves, ask the students to record in their activity books on page 2 under Activity 1: Eyewitness Reporting all the details they noticed about this individual: size, hair color, clothing, mannerisms, walk, actions, etc.

5. How closely were students paying attention? They were not prepared to be paying attention, just as an eyewitness would not be prepared for a crime about to happen.

6. Students may add in red pen all the details that they personally missed but have learned from their partners.

7. Ask one student in each group to share something that most learners missed. Did the students notice that the visitor took something?

8. Be sure to finish reading “Notes for the Students.”

Activity 2: Practice Pictures15 Minutes 1. Ask students to position themselves so that when photos are turned over for viewing, all group members can see clearly.

2. Ask one student to turn over photo #1 for 20 seconds. All students should examine the photo carefully. After the period of study is complete, ask students to turn photo #1 face down and answer questions on Activity 2: Practice Pictures found in their activity books on page 3. Allow time for students to answer questions before you move onto the next photo. Repeat for photo #2.

3. Ask students to compare their responses for photo #1. Allow some time for discussion of responses. Are the students more observant now that they have been asked to be?

to all kinds of witnesses to begin to understand what happened.

People who think they can help the police solve a crime often provide valuable details of what they think they saw or heard. But many witnesses to a crime can provide different details: one person might remember a smell or sound, another might remember the way someone said something. These reports don’t always match. In many crimes, witness reports conflict—they don’t match. One person might say, “The man was six feet tall!” Another person might say, “Oh, no. The robber was very short!”

Let’s test our observation skills by looking at some pictures.

Vocabulary Eyewitness: a person who was at or near a crime scene when the crime took place and tells investigators what he/she saw. Forensic evidence: any physical thing that may be used in a criminal court to convict or clear a person. Observation: the act of perceiving the environment through one or more of your senses. Suspect: one who authorities think may have committed a crime.

Activity 1: Eyewitness Reporting 20 Minutes 1. Prearrange for a non-class member, preferably an adult, to knock on the classroom door. Ask your visitor to alter his or her appearance slightly, perhaps by rolling up a pant leg, putting a shirt on backwards, or wearing an unusual hat. The visitor could also display a distinguishing characteristic, such as a tattoo or limp.

2. Begin reading “Notes for the Students” section to class. While you are doing so, you should be interrupted by the prearranged visitor.

3. Once you have opened the door, the visitor should engage you (the teacher) in conversation briefly and follow you to the desk or lab bench.

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Heads Up: Observation SkillsLesson 1



Heads Up: Observation Skills Lesson 1

4. Using a red pen, students should place a line through any errors they made. Repeat for photo #2.

5. Display or pass around The Cookie Jar Mystery crime scene photo so everyone can see it. Ask the students to observe the photo for clues. After a few minutes, take the photo back and ask students what they saw that may be pertinent to solving the mystery. Read the introduction to the mystery on page v if you haven’t already done so.

6. Conduct a discussion centered on the question, “How valid are eyewitness accounts of an event?”

7. Ask students to list the areas of criminal investigation that were discussed today: eyewitness reporting and forensic evidence. Which of these methods is most reliable?

8. Refer to the crime scene photo during future lessons as needed.

Clean-up10 Minutes 1. Make sure the room is back in order.

2. Collect and store all materials.

Other Directions, Discussionsand Destinations 1. To make The Cookie Jar Mystery more fun and exciting, you can mock-up a “crime scene” in your room. Locate a cookie jar, cookies and catsup or red dye. Carefully break the cookie jar on the floor so that it looks like it was knocked over Drip a small amount of artificial blood on a piece of the jar. Now for the fun part – partially eat a few cookies and drop them around the broken cookie jar to look like a thief did it. If you want to make it even more realistic, you can add some hair and black fabric threads taken from the materials in the upcoming lessons. Let the class look at the “crime scene” for a few minutes and then see what they can recall later.2. Developing our powers of observation often starts with improving our memories. Here’s an old parlor game that’s still played today:

Memory Story 1. Gather together 15 or 20 items from around the house or from around the classroom (or from the supply box): a pencil, a key, a comb, a spoon or a cup could be among these. The 15 items should be random. Put these items together on a tray and cover them. Then gather in small groups around the tray. Remove the cover for 30 seconds and ask each member in the group to try to commit to memory all of the items. After 30 seconds, cover the items, and ask each person to write down as many items as they can remember.

a. Some won’t remember every item, and some will. Ask the people with the best memories how they remembered the items—often you’ll discover that they’ve constructed a “memory story” to help them remember what they’ve seen.

b. For example, Karen told the following story: “I just put it together like this when I saw the items: I thought to myself, I need a key (key) to open the door to the kitchen, where I would go to the drawer and get a spoon (spoon) to stir my coffee (cup); as I drink my coffee I often make a list of the things I need to do (pencil) which include combing my hair (comb), etc.”

2. Have a group discussion of witness reporting based upon students’ personal experiences. For example, consider two students describing to the principal their own account of what transpired in a cafeteria incident.

3. Inquire if any students or parents ever witnessed a car accident. Did they provide a report for the police? What was the result?

And try these observation skills tests on the Internet:

this picture? www.orderofthewhitelion.com/ Miscellaneous@/Observationpowers.html.


Student Activity Book 2


Activity 1: Eyewitness Reporting

What did you just witness (see)?

Approximately how tall was the person?

What color was his/her hair?

Describe the clothing this person was wearing.

What other details did you notice?

How did the person walk? (fast? slow? big or little steps?)

What did this person do in your classroom?

What else did you notice?

Lesson 1


Student Activity Book 3

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Activity 2: Practice PicturesLook at a picture for 20 seconds and then answer the following questions:

Picture #1

1. What did you see in the picture? .............................Two firefighters extinguishing a burning golf cart

2. How many cars are in the picture? ..........................1 car, 1 SUV

3. How many trucks are in the picture?.......................Possibly 1 truck

4. How many people are in the picture? .....................2 firefighters and 7 other people

5. Was anyone in danger? ..............................................No, the situation looked under control and the people were standing far away

Picture #2

1. What is happening in this picture? ..........................A parking enforcement officer is writing a ticket

2. Where is it taking place?............................................A parking lot possibly in a warm climate because of the officer’s hat

3. How many vehicles are in the picture? ....................4 cars, 1 SUV

4. What was the person wearing? .................................Dark blue broad-brimmed hat with a double red-striped hat band, a light blue short-sleeved shirt, red tie, sunglasses, a watch, navy pants and hiking boots

Enlarged photo of Cookie Jar Crime Scene

1. What do you notice in the scene?

2. What do you think will be important to remember?

Lesson 1

Documents

Cookie Jar Mystery Sample