Crime Scene Investigation

So it's a cold, wet, windy evening, you're having a quiet night in, just channel hopping through the TV stations.  Wherever you are in the world you are bound to stumble upon two things; one: trashy reality shows and two: superb crime dramas. 

The crime dramas are usually made in the US although you can't beat the likes of Miss Marple and Poirot from the UK.  There are the courtroom dramas of Law and Order, the forensic science in Bones and CSI, maths problems in Numb3rs, the body language in The Mentalist and the psychological profiling in what is my favourite, Criminal minds.  A discussion of these programs can usually enthuse even the most apathetic science student so why not use CSI in your science classroom to help your students to learn about the use of forensics in real life scenarios and encourage collaborative learning.

Following on from my previous blogpost in February where I discussed (from an ICT perspective) a unit on Forensics that I carried out last year with a class of 14 year olds.

Once they had cracked the code to enter the relevant site on the school intranet (run on the moodle program), they had to solve the crime by collecting evidence from a set up crime scene, then carried out research, interviewed suspects and presented their findings both through ongoing media reports and a mock court where they used their solid scientific evidence to name the perpetrator of the crime.

This unit required a lot of organisation but once the crime scene and resources were gathered together it ran itself for a couple of weeks.  It was very rewarding to see the students work so collaboratively as they distributed the workload and organised the practicals amongst their team while building on their personal interest and skills.  I am looking forward to running the unit again in a few weeks time.

Click on the images below to access relevant files for this Forensics unit.  Feel free to use and adapt any of the information provided.  The teacher scheme of work and information are here.

Here's some additional suggestions on carrying out interactive Crime Scene Investigations in your classroom.

	The Case of the Barefoot burglar: students use their observation skills as they solve the crime for ages 10+ years
	Interactive Investigator: is a good literacy problem solving task from the Canadian Heritage Information Network for ages 12+ years
	The Human Torch:  This an educational computer game which aims to make learning about combustion reactions, safety and risk more exciting, by harnessing students enthusiasm for games and the paranormal, as in the X Files for ages 14+ years
	The Killer's trail: helps students to learn more about forensic methods that are used in real life crimes, this activity is based on a real life, unsolved murder from 1985 in the USA, it gives good scientific background with interactives on fingerprinting and 3D mug shots. for ages 14+ years
	Crime Scene Investigator: students use logic to link together the clues, gather information about the suspects and solve each of the 5 crimes. for ages 14+ years
	Autopsy of a murder: there are excellent visuals in this interactive as students once again collect clues and learn about forensic analysis techniques. for ages 14+ years

Finally, one of the best "who dunnits" on the net.  This interactive is called "Mixed Reception" and designed by Chemistry and Drama students at Carnegie Melon University

This activity requires students to have a basic knowledge of organic chemistry, stoichiometry and enough time (I would recommend a week for them to work at home and "marinate" on the problem).  It can be downloaded for free or run online from here.

I have put together some teacher notes on this, but if you like this interactive why not email the Chemistry and Drama students at mixedreception@chemcollective.org to express your gratitude.

Have a great week, I'm off to solve the mystery of my missing sock....you know the usual scenario, you pop a pair in the washing machine and one "disappears"!

social networking (part two)

You are alone in a dimly lit room, staring at a flickering computer screen while tip tapping away on a keyboard.  I ask the question... really, honestly, how social is social networking?

My thoughts, perhaps it's as social as we want it to be, On one hand, a person can be a listener, a recipient of news, information and opinions without actually being in active conversation with the "chatterboxes" on the other end of the line, so to speak.  On the other hand, one can be actively engaged and participating in conversation with others via instant updates on Twitter (which I feel, quite frankly is a complete and utter waste of time, perhaps I am clearly clueless as how to maximise its benefits) or on Facebook by commenting on friends profiles, exchanging images and videos (usually from YouTube), while also having face to face conversations using Skype, playing online chess....the list goes on...and on...

I set this blog up 9 months ago, purely for fun, as a wee challenge, to see if I could fiddle around with HTML, learn how to embed objects, share resources and give me some incentive to sort through the many that I have accumulated over the years.  See my previous blog post from the beginning of the year on social networking. I have been surprised and to be honest a little thrilled to see that as of today there are over 2000 hits (according to ClustrMaps).  Of course, it's very possible that many people stumbled upon this blog, had a quick skim read and moved swiftly on if Rod Liddle, writer of a recent Sunday Times article is to be believed,

"...Bloggsville incarnate - the very essence of that vast network of talentless and embittered individuals tapping away at their keyboards in the intellectual vacuum of cyberspace, only occasionally leaving their computer screens to heat up a Tesco microwave-ready mini filled garlic and corriander nan bread with Indian dip selection before returning to spew out some more unsubstantiated bile."

Rod Liddle, The Sunday Times

For fear of boring you with yet more "unsubstantiated bile"...let's get back to the task at hand which is to encourage Creative, Collaborative, Lifelong Learners...shall we have a look at what other bloggers have been blogging about, specifically their creative suggestions for innovative and collaborative learning in and around the classroom.

"Now I appreciate that many people will think that there is not a lot to learn about chewing gum but I think it is a fascinating subject!

I also think it is also a good example of how a Curriculum for Excellence can allow us to teach topics that will capture the imagination of children but at the same time provide depth, core knowledge and skills."

Ollie Bray

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"A Dashboard Physics lesson:  For several years I’ve turned my students loose with a rather boring video of my speedometer as I traveled around town.  The best part of this video is that I don’t need to come up with an  assignment.I just play the video. It doesn’t take more than a minute for questions to start bubbling out of the students?

• How long did you do this?
• Where did you go?
• How far did you drive?

And there it is. A physics lesson. I send the students off with a challenge: “tell us everything you can about my trip.”

Dale Bashler and Brian Bartel

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"I do not talk of grace in the classroom. I talk of fusion in the sun, of energy flowing through us, or matter recycling around us. I talk of what we know, what we can know, and of what we cannot.
I talk of descent with modification, of DNA, of life.
I told the kids on Friday I would bring back a shell or two of the critters I planned to hunt over the weekend. I want them to wonder, as I do, why the inside of a quahog shell holds a purple streak almost too intense too bear."

Michael Doyle

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"But now, I want to tackle the death of the pen which is quickly being replaced with digital writing tools like laptops, cell phones, iTouches, iPads, Smartpens etc. etc. etc. The same rumblings happen when it comes to the passing of the pen.

• But I love the feel of the pen on the page.
• Taking notes (an outdated skill) with a pen helps me understand what I’m hearing.
• I need an ink pen to be able to capture my thoughts, the keyboard just isn’t the same.

My advice: Get over it and join the 21st century so you can be relevant to yourself, your colleagues, and most importantly your students.

Why? Because...

Ditching pens allows you to do more, do it faster, do it more efficiently / effectively, and most importantly share it with an audience."

Lisa Nielsen

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"About a week ago I was at a conference and was asked what do you do with those teachers fast approaching retirement who don’t want, or feel the need to integrate ICT into their learning. The problem with arguing with people about this issue is that they try to elevate it to an intellectual / rational level, whatever their position.  The reality though is that whenever there is poor teaching, students are disadvantaged, they are harmed. Not integrating ICT is poor teaching if your students live daily in a digitally rich environment. In addressing this issue we need to include the voice of those that are harmed by it.

 My answer was to get half a dozen student and parents from that teacher’s class and get the teacher to discuss their position to this audience.  When exposed to the victims of their actions, most people will change their position."

Peter Kent

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"Steve Spangler Science serves as both a catalog and on-line business dedicated to offering its customers educational toys and one of a kind learning resources. The company’s unique business strategies and attention-getting creations have been featured recently in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine and TIME Magazine where on-line readers voted Steve Spangler #18 in the Top 100 Most Influential People of the Year for 2006.
So, what is Steve doing right now.
He’s probably making some gadget ooze, bubble, fizz, bounce, smoke, or maybe he’s creating a new idea to get another human being turned on to life’s small wonders."

excerpt from Who is Steve Spangler?

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and on another note, however much we aspire to being ultra creative, our students super collaborative and all of us lifelong learners, hey, we're only human...  here's a few descriptions from down to earth, honest bloggers who state the realities of a day in the life of a teacher...

"You know that saying, about there being an 'elephant in the room': something that everyone knows is there, but no one is willing to point out, for fear of what might happen if they do? Well, in teaching, there isn't just one elephant in the classroom, there's a whole herd of them, rampaging through the room. In this blog I plan to turn a spotlight on some of these elephants, to highlight the unspoken and sometimes unpalatable truths about our noble profession. Because if we can't be honest about what makes a good learning experience, or an effective school, and equally what makes a bad learning experience, or a bad school, then everyone loses. As the saying goes: 'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.' There's no point in denying these truths, no point in turning our back on that herd of elephants, because they will still be there when we turn back around. Or to put it another way, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't someone following you."

Sue Cowley

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"Lots of teachers return to work tomorrow and no Head can resist making a little speech to start the new term. A few will be inspirational, creating a warm feeling of comradeship and making every teacher feel wanted, appreciated and keen to do their very best. Most however will be dreadful, filled with cliches and wild new ideas which make no sense, but are greeted with wise nods by the SMT. They also include desperate pleas to work harder, interspersed with complaints about 'under-performance' which make everyone want to look for a job elsewhere.

However, you need to stay alert because at some stage during the day (usually morning break) you will hear someone utter Chalk's Teachers' Moan No 1:
"It doesn't seem like we've been away!"

Do us all a favour and shoot this person."

Frank Chalk

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and I'll leave you with this clip from intelligence squared where Stephen Fry discusses The Catholic Church and it's prejudices.  I acknowledge that this speech is controversial and that yes, this speech will, I have no doubt offend some readers.  However, don't pre-judge but take the time to listen to the numerous valid points that Mr Fry discusses in a powerful and articulate manner.

To conclude, the internet is an incredible social networking tool, let's continue to make the most of diverse methods to discuss, debate and share with from others from far corners of the world.

Spring is in the air

 Allright everybody, sing along after me...Spring is in the air, tra la la da doo de da....

What a perfect time of year to teach plant and human reproduction.  While many newly qualified teachers (NQT's) aka beginning teachers (BT's) shudder at the thought of having to talk about "the birds and the bees" to a class of thirty giggling teenagers with hormones surging (or about to) through their bodies, those who approach this topic with the right attitude and appropriate level of humour ensure that an enjoyable learning experience is had by all.

My survival guide to this topic is...
1) start with plant reproduction and disect a flower
2) plant reproduction has a natural progression on to the next section of the topic, human reproduction
3) before starting human reproduction, have a class brainstorm on the "ground rules"
4) referring to number 3, never reveal any personal information
4) where appropriate, use humour
5) make use of videos starring real people, with real bodies who have real life stories to tell
6) provide your students with correct information so that they can make informed decisions for themselves
7) play the STI game to show how easily infections can be transferred
8) give each of them a raw egg "baby" to mind for a week, they love the experience, have tales to tell and besides, the egg "baby" turns out to be a pretty good contraceptive...yes, really!

The keen bunnies in class will be thrilled to be given the opportunity to use a scalpel and tweezers to dissect a flower, if you teach little terrors blunt the scalpels blades beforehand, they'll never know!  Obviously count them in and out.  Get your students to stick the flower in their book and label it, key words on the board can help the less able ones.

If using scalpels isn't an option for your students, click on the image below for a very cool model of the flower that students can cut, stick and colour.  This was designed by Mike Beester, Edgemead High School.

and the cartoon below always gets a laugh...

 and clear, simple video on the growth of a pollen tube

There is a wonderful though now quite dated book called  Living Things: Certificate of Secondary Education Biology by V. Slaughter and published by Edward Arnold.  The copy that I have dates from 1980. If you can get your hands on a copy of it then do and clasp it firmly. It is a superb book, the drawings, explanations and questions are first rate and it covers all basic aspects of plant and human biology.  Highly, highly recommended. See here for some pdf's from the book, it is available for sale from Amazon for only £2

So on to puberty...I like to show this video produced originally for the NEMO Science Centre from Fonztv. 

It is a 3 minute animation which seems odd initially but certainly gets the message across of the difficult journey through puberty showing the progression from "ugly ducklings" to emerging "beautiful swans"and a paragraph about a person called Chris outlining changes occuring to him/her during puberty, after reading this students discuss and decide if the story related to refers to a Christopher or a Christine. 

Here's a couple of info, colour in and ques sheets from User Friendly Resources.  There are many animations online relevant to male and female reproductive organs, particularly good is the BBC puberty demo and I quite like this animation of the menstrual cycle from The American Medical Association.

The BBC Human Body series, episode titled "Raging teens" has a wonderful true to life account of how teenagers feel and the changes that they undergo during puberty, this is also available to purchase from Amazon This award winning series is presented by The Right Honourable Professor Lord Robert Winston.

So...onto the birds and the bees and what better way to start than with this Mitsubishi car ad.

and that wonderful opening scene from "Look who's talking" featuring the voice of Bruce Willis.
and "The inside story" from Discovery Health which touches on the science of it all. There are clear info and diagrams available to purchase from User Friendly Resources on the start of new life.

It'll be yet another well deserved plug for the BBC as I recommend "An Everyday miracle" which shows the development of a foetus in the womb which culminates with, by far the quietest and seemingly easiest labour that I have ever seen or heard of!

As regards contraceptives, no doubt your local family planning association will be delighted to chat to your students about the different methods of contraceptive available to them. Whenever I teach this topic I issue each student with an egg to mind for the week, they name it, draw a face and hair on it.  As part of the task I suggest that they don't leave the egg unattended and need to find a "babysitter" for it if they're playing sports etc... if possible they keep a diary of what they did with their egg and how easy or difficult the experience was.  Usually they find it a difficult task and a class discussion gets the message across that despite being a difficult task, it would be considerably more so if their egg was a real life baby who cried, needed feeding, nappy changing etc..

Something else that works well for teenagers is having other teenagers through the local family planning association come into school and talk to the students about the difficulties (and they are usually difficulties) that they have had as a result of being a parent during their teenage year.  This banned commerical highlights one of the difficulties of parenting...

The Brook Advisory Centre, UK devised an interactive game called "The Body fluids game", it's pretty straightforward to carry out with a class of students as the starch and iodine solutions required are readily available.  Without question "The Body fluids game" gets the message across as to how easily STI's can be transmitted from one person to another.

Some of you may have heard of the very popular "Grapevine Sex education game" which has now been relaunched as "Sexplanation" from the National Youth Agency (UK)

So I'll conclude with the Johnny condom song this was created in 1997 by the Frank Foundation and features puppets from the Spitting Image crew.

Sing along after me...Johnny condom, Johnny condom...tra la la da doo de da....