Forensic Science Fingerprinting Activity | Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Description

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This forensic science fingerprinting activity is a CSI-type lab investigation for middle school students, students will identify FINGERPRINTS to solve a “crime.” Unlike other forensics activities, this lab will not give your students nightmares!

This activity is perfect for traditional classrooms, enrichment programs/camps, homeschool co-ops, and homeschool students. This is a great alternative to graphic or scary CSI activities. This lab is easy to set up and mostly uses common materials you can easily find at your local grocery store (you will need to purchase fingerprinting powder online). Tested and approved by my students – this is a FUN activity that your students will love!

Here is the scenario:

The science class surprised their teacher by decorating the classroom for her birthday. She wanted to thank the people who set up the surprise, but no one would take credit. She turned the situation into a “teachable moment.” The microscope slides that were on her desk earlier that day were moved to another table. Whoever hung the birthday banner must have moved some of the slides out of the way to make room for the banner. They would use the fingerprints left behind on the microscope slides to solve the Birthday Banner Mystery.

In this investigation, students will make observations about their own fingerprints and collect fingerprints on a fingerprinting card. Then, they will use this information to solve the Birthday Banner Mystery.

What will students do?

• Examine fingerprints, look for and record patterns
• Record fingerprints
• Lift latent fingerprints
• Lift fingerprints from the mock crime scene evidence (described above) and compare to suspects’ fingerprints

What will students learn?

• How fingerprints form
• Why fingerprinting is important
• How to record fingerprints
• Ways to lift latent fingerprints
• Analyze fingerprints through comparison
• Using fingerprints are in crime investigation
• How to solve a mock crime using fingerprinting

This fingerprinting activity includes the following:

• Teacher instructions with photos
• Student instructions with and without photos
• Fingerprint Analysis Handout
• Fingerprint Card
• Three Reading Passages- Fingerprinting, Funny Fingerprints, Fingerprinting and CSI
• Comprehension/Analysis questions and answer key

This activity supports the following NGSS:

• MS-LS1-3
• MS-LS1-5

Looking for more Fun Forensics activities? Check out…

• Simulated Urinalysis product, “Urine Trouble”
• Paper Chromatography activity, “Spring Break Outbreak”
• Identifying an unknown substance lab, “Mystery Powders”
• Fun Forensics Bundle, “Forensic Science for Kids”

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