CSI Shawnigan

On Thursday, the Law 12 classes took part in several CSI investigations and learned what it's like to be a CSI agent.

 

They began the two-hour-long block by completing an online rookie training course to get a sense of the science behind investigations. Students then learned how DNA was collected and how it is used to identify possible suspects. Next, they were given lab coats and safety goggles to help them step into the shoes of CSI forensic analysts. They were given worksheets that described different types of fingerprint characteristics and how to identify them. They shaded in boxes with pencil and used that to transfer their fingerprints onto balloons. This allowed them to see the characteristics of their own fingerprints. The statistics of each person's fingerprints were gathered and a class average accumulated that was quite different from the national average.

 

After the students had become experts on fingerprint analysis, they were given a case to test their abilities. The case was a robbery and students were tasked with matching the fingerprints of a suspect to the fingerprints found at a crime scene.

 

The students were given a final case involving fraud and identity theft. After half an hour or so, the students taped together each shredded document and figured out the case as a class.

 

Overall, the students were given a glimpse of some of the aspects that a CSI investigation entails. It was a very hands-on experience that the majority of the students enjoyed.

 

– Submitted by Hazel B. and Tatum H.