How to Get Away With Murder

How to Get Away With Murder: Group Projects In Forensic Science

I teach two class periods of a STEM based elective using curriculum from a national company and program. This program has become very popular and supported financially in my district, and it has a great reputation of being hands-on and activity, project, and problem-based. It truly is fun to teach. 

I have found that some of the units in this curriculum rely on students completing worksheets, or following directions to perform a lab and filling in answers either on paper or electronically. I have made it my mission to be a worksheet-free classroom, so I have had to alter many lessons, while keeping true to the content, concepts, and major learning goals. I have also found, and my students have too, that all of the answers to the curriculum that this program provides is available if you Google it. Yes, well meaning teachers and students have created projects and presentations and plastered them online where they are easily searched for and found. (The year I found this out, I was introducing the Murder Mystery unit, which was to last for at least 10 days, and I had a student shouting out answers for questions that I had not even asked yet....that quickly changed my plans).

In my quest to make certain that kids could not simply "Google" all the answers, I had to think quickly. I wanted an engaging project, one in which students did the creation, the learning, the work, the heavy lifting. And I had to think of it within seconds because I had a kid in the back of the room shouting out answers to the project I was just about to assign. Thus, the Murder Mystery Group Project was born. 

The Murder Mystery Group Project is one in which the students must create a case file for a murder scenario and include all pertinent information so that when the case file is given to another group, they can solve the crime. I first created this project last year, and was happy with the results. The students were very creative in their scenarios, they were engaged in the process, and presentations by the solving groups were fun to watch. However, I think the project lacked science skills and processes so I knew I wanted to revise it for this year's students. 

This year I am adding a requirement to each group that as they create their case file they must also include 3 pieces of physical evidence. In my desire to have students learn about forensic science processes, I decided to give each group a forensic skill and require them to perform three tasks: 1)To research the skill to learn why it is performed, how it is performed, and the importance of it as evidence when solving crimes 2) Create a presentation and present that information to the class and 3) Perform a demonstration or find a lab that the entire class can perform together that will teach the class the skill.

I first performed some research myself to determine which forensic science processes and skills would be feasible in a classroom, and I developed the following list:

1. Ink Chromatography

2. Fingerprinting - Dusting and Fuming

3. Powder Analysis - identifying unknown powders

4. Polygraph - Electronic Lie Detector

5. Imprints - Footprints and Tire tracks

6. DNA Analysis - DNA Extraction

7. Hair and Fiber Analysis - microscopes

8. Blood Splatter - analysis from different heights

I assigned each group their topic, and gave them time to work. I would visit with each group on a daily basis, providing feedback, pointing out where in the classroom they could find materials, asking guiding questions, providing direction, and giving encouragement. Students had 5 class days to work, and then presentations were to begin the first school day of the following week. Students were encouraged to practice their lab activities or demonstrations to make sure that everything worked and so that they could create instructions that their classmates could easily follow. Students were also encouraged to think about the materials each group would need, and how each group would access, use, clean, and put away those materials (essentially how to manage a class lab activity - much like a science teacher does). I also made certain that my Polygraph group had access to an Arduino, accessories, and programs they needed to complete their project (these students had robotics last year so they are very familiar with programming and coding).

I was very impressed by the learning that I observed during the week. Groups were researching, trying out activities, and completing tasks that they thought were impossible to do when I assigned them. There was an amazing level of engagement and activity. Students were creating slides, programming, testing, communicating, deciding how to best "teach" their skill. I was very impressed with the dedication that my students had to their projects. 

Presentations began last week, and overall I am disappointed. I know that when groups fail my expectations, it is really a failure of my own communication of what my expectations are, so I know it is I that needs to improve. I don't think that I made my expectations clear enough for the class activities and labs. While student groups are meeting expectations for the presentations (students present quite frequently in all subject areas in my school), it is the management and quality of the labs, activities, and demos that are so disjointed. Groups did not plan well for how to distribute materials, and had to have members go to each of the seven participating groups to pass out materials, give instructions, answer questions, pour liquids, etc. Several groups were also asking for materials (we need 28 cups!) as they were trying to present their activities. The mismanagement and lack of good instructions completely negates the content and concepts that are trying to be taught. Instead of being engaged and learning a forensic science concept and skill, participating students are confused, impatient, and begin to talk about other topics. Two groups did do an exceptional job and when I was trying to figure out the difference, it was because both groups had a member that is a student in my regular Physical Science class. They were able to manage a class activity because they had experienced well run and managed activities in my science class. 

I realize that I will have to provide more guidance, support, and scaffolding for the student-run class activities to run more smoothly. 

So, not an epic fail (and I do believe that both students and teachers learn by doing) but not my greatest teaching moment.