Lesson Plans for April 21, 2014

I hope you all have a great start to your week and I look forward to seeing you later this week.Today is the last day that you will have to work on the CSI online case 3 case report. In case you don't remember the instructions for this, they can be found below. Please make sure you again complete the CSI Online daily feedback form individually. Your case reports are due in your Google assignment folders by Friday April 25.

Please take the time to complete the following survey at the end of each class period so I can keep track of your thoughts - CSI ONLINE DAILY FEEDBACK FORM (the survey will take 3-5 minutes per day and should be completed individually, not as a pair and this will be how you earn your participation points for the class period):

VIDEO EXPLAINING THE LESSON (only watch on if you missed class the day that we watched this) All other instructions and links are below the video:


Go to the site listed at the bottom of this entry. Please read all of these directions before preceding.

Today you will be working in PAIRS (not threes or fours) with a website that has you work with various characters from the TV show CSI. I suggest that you setup a username in the upper right hand corner of the site so you can save your work as you'll be using this site again tomorrow. If you don't setup a username, you will not be able to save your work and continue from the same spot at a later time. You will be completing various cases throughout the semester on this site.

You will be working through Case 3: Burning Star. As you complete this case, follow the directions given to you by the characters and take notes on all of your evidence collected and test results. When finished with the case, you will be completing a case report for this case. Please click the following link for a template of the case report: CASE REPORT TEMPLATE (you will need to make a copy of this google doc or download it in order to use it). The parts of the case report are as follows:

PURPOSE:  Explain the purpose of the investigation.  This should include any relevant backstory for the crime collected by the detectives (give the details of the eye witness testimony)

EVIDENCE RECEIVED:  List the pieces of evidence that were found at the scene of the crime, preferably in a table. Do NOT provide results of lab tests in this section.

CLAIM: Based upon analysis of the evidence, who committed the crime and briefly explain why this is the hypothesis.

EXAMINATION AND RESULTS:  provide a detailed description of the results of the examination of the evidence found at the scene of the crime. Tables and/or graphs are recommended when applicable.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION:  Explain how each piece of evidence links the suspect to the crime scene and how it can be used to either prove the guilt of the suspect or exonerate other potential suspects.  Essentially, how did the data help lead to the claim made above?

Here's the link to the website: http://forensics.rice.edu/

Link to the CSI Experience website

Link to the Case Report Template

Link to the Online Feedback Form

Link to CSI experience explanation blog entry from October

Grades are Updated & Test Tuesday

I just updated grades and MANY of you are missing assignments, especially the fingerprint matching activities. Please get these turned in ASAP (yes, I'm yelling at you :))

Remember, the test on fingerprinting is Tuesday in class (C Day). Please get all of your questions addressed prior to Tuesday as I will not be at school Tuesday. We will review the next time Fri or Mon depending on which day I see you next. Remember, you have access to ALL class materials through your Google folders.

Additionally, you should be getting started on your fingerprint projects. You hopefully have many of your lifted prints at this point and should be getting started on organizing these into either your tabbed flipbook, tabbed binder, or digital presentation (remember, no powerpoints and user beware because you will be putting your prints online for others to access if you go with this style). The final due date for the project is Wednesday March 26 (C Day). If you can't find your project explanation, then please don't ask me for a new one. Instead, get it from your Google folders.

Reichs visit

@BrendanReichs & @KathyReichs coming to @SpartaHS Monday 1:00pm and today @SchulerBooks on 28th St. @ 4:00 #exposure #virals #Incredible
— Matthew Landry (@mrlandryshs) March 9, 2014

Kathy Reich's Visiting Sparta High School

Sparta High School and Schuler Books are excited to announce that Kathy Reichs, forensic anthropologist, best-selling author of the Temperance Brennan series, and producer of the FOX television show “Bones”, will be speaking at Sparta High School on March 10, 2014. Her son Brendan, co-author of the Virals series, will be joining her.  The presentation will take place in the auditorium beginning at 1:00 pm, and all current forensic science, creative writing, anatomy/physiology, and AP biology students are invited to attend. In order for your student to be able to attend, a pre-arranged absence form must be completed to excuse your child from the last 20 minutes of their 4^th block class as well as their 5^th block class. Students who attend the event are expected to make up any class material that they miss on their own time and to communicate with the teachers whose classes they will miss about make-up materials. If the attached form is not completed, then the student will be expected to attend their normal 4^th & 5^th block classes on March 10.

Kathy and Brendan are currently on a book tour for their 4^th release in the young adult book series Virals, titled Exposure (a summary of this book is included below). Therefore, this is a publicity tour for this book and copies of it will be available for purchase the day of the presentation (priced at $17.99 for the hardcover book through Schuler Books). In addition to talking about their book, Kathy will discuss her experiences as a forensic anthropologist, author and creator of the character Temperance Brennan, and producer of the FOX TV show “Bones”. Upon the conclusion of their presentation, the Reichs will be available to sign copies of their books and address any questions that audience members may have.

There is limited seating available for the public on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in attending please sign in at the office before making your way to the auditorium. The Reichs will also be presenting at Schuler Books at their 28^th Street location on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 4:00pm. More information is available on the Schuler’s Books website. More information about Kathy & Brendan Reichs can be found at www.kathyreichs.com

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the high school office or Mr. Landry (matt.landry@spartaschools.org).

Book jacket excerpt from “Exposure”:

When twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there's no one better than them to investigate. The gang, however, has other problems to face. Their powers are growing more wild and are becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself.

The Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. EVERYONE seems to be watching!