Forensics for kids (6-12)

[L.J.Steele]

I'm thinking about putting together a basic forensics talk for kids and didn't want to reinvent the wheel. Target audience is the child-care/education/distraction track of a local conference, kids 6-12, likely interested in science. Time would be about an hour. Powerpoint/screen/projector likely available.

I was thinking about a talk about identity. Maybe look for some prop bones (animal & human)/jaw/hand and talk about the very basics of forensic anthropology, dentistry, DNA, and fingerprints.

Anyone done a talk like this who can share ideas or materials?

[RL Tavernaro]

What is the size of the audience, and what kind of facilities?

If practical, incorporating hands-on participation can work really great with kids. Even if not all can participate, using a few volunteers can work to enliven the presentation. After a a demonstration of fingerprint pattern types and ridge features and how they are used in classification & identification, something as simple as obtaining their own sample fingerprints will serve to make the presentation a memorable experience, and provide a guide for follow-up experiments on their own.
Regards, RLT

[PCC]

I have done some PR presentations on occasion. Mostly with 10 year olds and up. One of the more impressive hands on presentations we do I think you can adapt for most age groups.

It requires obtaining a single inked print impression on a 3X5 card from each subject. We usually do a thumb print, and have them sign their name on the card. Review the prints and find the person that most likely will leave the best and most easily identifiable latent print on a smooth clean surface (we usually use soda cans). Then you set up a small mock crime. The person with the best print is the "criminal" and the remaining are the "investigators". Without the "investigators" knowing (usually during a short break), have your "criminal" touch (thumb) the can and leave a latent. To make sure the latent is the best I have the "criminal" rub their thumb across their forehead or nose to increase the likelihood of leaving a latent print and then touch the thumb, multiple times on the can. Then bring all the "investigators" and the unknown "criminal" together as they dust the can for latents, obtain the latent and try to identify it to the inked prints on the 3X5 cards. You can narrow the group down to five or six possible suspects for time constraints and if you have an overhead projector looking at the latent and known prints side by side will be easy. I have found this REALLY impresses the group and gives them a good feeling of what forensics is about as it covers crime scene processing, latent development, known prints, and ACE-V.

[L.J.Steele]

To judge from this year's presentations, time slot would be 50 min. Likely audience of 6-10 kids with a couple of interested parents. Space would be part of a hotel conference room likely with some AV equipment available.

The format mostly done this year was short talk with powerpoint and stuff to hand around. (The talks I saw were by a fellow who had been on an expedition to the South Pole about life at the base there and the meteors he was studying, and another about "Today on Mars" talking about the rovers and Mars exploration.)

Probably flexibility is key as audience size/age/interest is going to be hard to predict. I like the soda can, tho I'm less certain about getting it done in the time alotted. A "rigged demo" with a pre-made lift from a shill might be another option to speed things up and limit the risks of something going wrong on the technical side.

[briano]

We do a lot of work with Science on Patrol. Good organization and members of our department put together the fingerprint session. You should contact them, I'm sure they would be willing to help. http://www.isof.org/SOP/default.aspx

[Boyd Baumgartner]

I helped write the "Comparing Fingerprints" for ISOF. After reviewing it a few years later, I revamped it. Here's the pdf form if anyone would like it. http://www.fs2d2.com/Forensics_at_Your_Fingertips.pdf

[briano]

The link from the above post doesn't look like the ISOF program I have seen before. This looks like a commercial site.

[Boyd Baumgartner]

Not just any commercial site, MY commercial site. And by commercial, I mean 'front for the mafia'.

You'll find Jimmy Hoffa's body under the 3rd hyperlink.

[Chris Grice]

You might try rolling each kid's thumbprint in ink on an uninflated balloon and then blowing them up to easily see all the unique features. Realistic looking fake skulls with dentition in place can be bought on E-bay for about $30.00. Overhead projectors are good at enlarging prints for visualization also. The Boy Scout Fingerprint Merit Badge book is inexpensive and relates to that general age level.

[L.J.Steele]

I like the ballon idea -- cheap and avoids AV equipment issues. Any suggestions for ink that will hold up to this and still provide good detail? I may have to experiment.

This would be in Cambridge, so when the conference comes around next year, I may email the folks at Boston PD and the State Police Lab and see if they are interested.

[RL Tavernaro]

I think you'll find 9" round white balloons work best. Porelon inkpads will work fine and are convenient, or even some of the 'semi-inkless' pads will work and have easier clean-up. You can probably find a local source (possibly police uniform shop if not listed under fingerprint supplies), or find numerous vendors via I-net search.
Regards, RLT