While there has been a lot of interest in science and crime, research studies conducted by private and governmental agencies continue to show that U.S. primary and secondary school students lag those in other countries in science literacy and critical thinking skills. This has been accompanied by a general decrease in the number of students who have expressed interest in science or a career in science. The rise in popularity of forensic science presents a unique opportunity to increase awareness and interest in science as a worthwhile career while, at the same time, providing an avenue for students to gain valuable experience in solving problems and thinking critically about their world.
Forensic science is a natural vehicle for students to practice science as inquiry. For every piece of physical evidence brought in for analysis, the student must apply the scientific method-that is, observation, collection, and classification of data; looking for relationships; and forming a hypothesis, testing it, and then advancing a conclusion or opinion. Students must then be prepared to defend conclusions based on their own empirical evidence.
Since the explosion of forensic science in the media, three trends seem apparent (even though the portrayal in the media is not always accurate):
1. Many people want to be "detectives" - they want to solve problems and puzzles
2. The public has seen repeatedly that science can be an important tool in answering difficult questions.
3. There has been an explosion in interest among high school and college students and teachers in the study of forensic science.
This unprecedented interest suggests that it could be used as an effective mechanism for teaching science to today's students. Some advantages are:
1. Forensic science is multidisciplinary. There is a great emphasis today on the wisdom of the multi- disciplinary approach to teaching science, & forensic science is among the best examples of this. (See below.)
2. Forensic science is a natural medium for students to practice science as inquiry. It is a tool that uses the methods of science to help solve crimes, determining who committed them and how. It is also used to help with non-criminal activities such as structural failures and mass disasters.
3. Forensic science appeals to the detective in people. It can be fun to learn and apply.
Our ultimate goal is for students to become confident that they can make sense of complex problems involving numerical data, evidence, uncertainty, and logical reasoning.
How is forensic science multidisciplinary?
It is an applied science that encompasses the sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, zoology, anatomy, genetics, medicine), technology, mathematics (& statistics), social studies (sociology, psychology, & law), & language arts:
· Life Science: Anatomy, fingerprints, hair, bones, blood, teeth, toxicology, and DNA.
Chemistry: Density, fiber analysis, drugs and poisons, document analysis, qualitative analysis, spot tests, paints, arson, and explosive investigation
· Physics: Trajectories, blood spatter patterns, refractive index, ballistics, & accident reconstruction
· Technology: Microscopy, chromatography,computers, electrophoresis, photography, & spectroscopy
· Earth Science: Soil analysis, casts & impressions,map reading & topology, and environmental pollution
· Mathematics: Statistics, graphing, measurements,ratios, probability, and trigonometry
· Language Arts: Writing, research skills,communication, and reading fiction and nonfiction
· Social Studies: Criminal justice, law, and psychology
Info taken from: Forensic Science for High School by Barbara Deslich and John Funkhouser, 2006