Investigate Forensics

Popular television shows like CSI, Cold Case Files, The First 48, and Forensic Investigators have increased interest in the study of forensic science. This booming discipline has given relevance to fields of science that many students find intimidating, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Forensics demonstrates to students the practical application of these sciences and gives instructors an engaging way to teach them.

Although these shows provide students with an awareness of many of the techniques used in a crime scene investigation, they do not provide students with the knowledge to perform them. The Master Forensics Kit can provide students with the knowledge and techniques needed to conduct a very thorough investigation,  and the opportunity to become an integral part of a full-scale simulated murder investigation.

About the kit

Here are some of the knowledge and techniques the Master Forensics Kit will help your students develop so they can begin to think (and act) like forensic or crime scene investigators. 

• Teach students about the 3 fundamental principles that fingerprints obey, which explain why they are still the primary evidence used in a criminal investigation.
• Use 4 different methods to obtain, analyze, and identify visible, plastic, and latent prints.
• Enhance their observation and classification skills, ability to process information, and their knowledge of basic organic chemistry or biochemistry concepts through the fingerprinting activities.
• Compare the general appearance, acidity, and particle sizes of soil samples under investigation, i.e., samples found adhering to a suspect’s clothing or shoes and samples collected at the crime scene.
• Examine “unknown” hair samples to determine if a match exists with the original hair samples.
• Perform a forensic document analysis to determine the authenticity of a typewritten document; its authorship; and its source (typewriter, computer printer, photocopier, dry seal, rubber stamp, or other mechanical device).
• Use paper chromatography to conduct ink analyses to determine if documents have been altered.
• Identify “unknown” drugs by applying 4 test reagents to samples under investigation.
• Conduct a full investigation by applying each of the process skills developed in each section of the kit.

The Master Forensics Kit stands out from other forensics kits because it is a comprehensive, cross-discipline kit that can be tailored to meet the needs of both lower- and upper-level classes. Order your kit today, and help your students investigate the fascinating world of forensics.

Did you know?

Every CSI unit handles the division between field and lab work differently, but in general what goes on at the crime scene is called crime scene investigation (or crime scene analysis), and what goes on in the laboratory is called forensic science. Not all CSIs are forensic scientists. But in many cases, these jobs overlap. Some CSIs only work in the field—they collect the evidence and then pass it to the forensics lab. But they must still possess a good understanding of forensic science to recognize the specific value of various types of evidence in the field.