for 3 classes
Class

Forensic Science: Experiment Design

Completed by 1 learner
Ages 11-16
Live Group Class
This class introduces experiment design and allows the students to design and run a series of experiments.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(1,229 reviews)

Live video meetings
1x per week, 3 weeks
3-10 learners per class
60 min

What's included

3 live meetings
3 in-class hours

Class Experience

Forensic scientists develop many tests that reveal important information about evidence that is discovered at a crime scene.  These experiments must follow the scientific method in order to use the resulting tests in court.  A goal of many experiments is to create predictive models that allow investigators to quickly understand the "meaning" of evidence.  

The first session will be a discussion of the scientific method and experiment design.  We will focus on blood (synthetic) evidence because the tests we will use are some of the most interesting one will find in forensic science.  The experiments will utilize BlueStar to produce a chemiluminescent reaction in the presence of blood (or synthetic blood).  After the first session, students will brainstorm about the variables we will have in our experiments.  

For the class that starts June 26, we will skip July 3 and have our second meeting July 10.  This is due to both the likelihood of people needing to miss due to the holiday and it will allow students to work on their experiment design before the second session.

The second session will be a discussion of the ways in which we can run a series of tests to satisfy the scientific method and how we can record and interpret our results.  After the second session, students will run their experiments at home and record their findings.

The third session will be a discussion of our results and any flaws in our designs.  

Families will have to purchase a small kit from me, which will cost approximately $12.  This kit will include BlueStar (tablets to mix with water to make a full batch of this non-toxic liquid) and synthetic blood for our experiments.

Other Details

External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Joined January, 2017
4.9
1229reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Juris Doctor from University of Michigan
I have been teaching for over 25 years, and focusing on forensic science classes and programs for middle school through college-age students since 2005.  For the past ten years, I have also been teaching a variety of online courses, including space science, climate change, writing, introduction to law, constitutional law, history, unsolved crimes, U.S. elections, U.S. government, and geography.  I have a J.D. (Law) from the University of Michigan, as well as B.A. and M.A. degrees in history, and extensive graduate education in geography and forensic science.  I spent 11 years as an attorney focusing on evidence, immigration for world leaders in medicine and science, and asylum for refugees.  I have also taught at the college level since 2000, in subjects including atmospheric science, physical geography, human geography, U.S. history, Humanities, criminal justice, forensic science, law and ideology, and unsolved crimes.  My most recent college teaching was at SUNY Empire State College (now University) in a variety of forensic science courses and Unsolved Crimes.  I have written a course manual for forensic science which is used by high school and college students, and has been picked up by a college in Europe.   

My teaching style can best be described as a Socratic quest for thought.  By this, I mean that the most important thing to me is to get my students thinking.  It is much more important for a student to develop their critical and analytical thinking skills than to recite a list of facts.  The greatest comment I ever got on a student evaluation was a college student who wrote that I was the first teacher who really wanted him to think.  I recognize the differences in abilities, interests, and backgrounds in my students, and tailor my questions and challenges to maximize each student's experience.  

I'd like to share a few more details about me to explain more of who I am.  I am a writer, and I have 7 volumes of a kids' fantasy series called the Guardians of Elestra.  Homeschooled kids who are interested get the first two chapters of a new book before it is published to give me feedback, and they learn about the revising and editing processes.  I'm also a homeschooling parent (since 2002) and I lead groups focused on homeschooling with chronic illness.  Our family has had to deal with long-term health issues, and I want to help others who are just getting their feet wet in this area as well.  Finally, I have training in voice acting, which is another area of teaching in which my course offerings are expanding.

Reviews


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