Reminder - Cookie Exchange Friday

Just a reminder that we will be doing a cookie exchange/trade in class on Friday, December 16. Bring some cookies to class with you and try to negotiate a trade with classmates for others. Maybe we can even get Mrs. Claus to provide us with some of her special recipe cookies? More details to come on Friday.

When we return from break on Jan. 3, we will review the test & labs on serology and do a short lab and unit on toxicology that will take several days. We will then move into the crime scene portions of the final exam. We will end the semester by looking at impression evidence, such as shoeprints, tiremarks, & ballistic evidence if time permits.

New feature added to blog

You can now find a video reel with a link to my channel on Youtube. Included in the videos are student made videos from labs that we have done in class. Enjoy.

Lesson for Nov. 17, 2011

Please check out the following video for today's lesson. If the video doesn't play properly, please click here.

Answer Key for the Practice Test / Review

To those of you who check this today, congrats. Here's your bonus - a copy of the answer key to today's assignment. Be ready for the test.

Finishing with Chromatography and Moving into Hair, Fibers, & Paint

We've officially ended our mini unit on chromatography. Your case reports on the "Sealed with a Kiss" letter are due by the end of the school day on Tuesday Nov. 1. Make sure to include the data from the chromatogaphs you ran, an analysis that includes which suspect you believe is guilty, and a conclusion that shows the limitations of our experiments.

Next we are moving into hair, fiber, and nails. Here is the tentative schedule for the unit:

Monday Oct. 31:
* unit pretest
* introduce general structure of hair and features to look for (powerpoint on wiki soon)
* analyze own hair and look at difference between shed and force pulled hairs

Tuesday Nov. 1 (Mr. Landry absent):
* CSI
* time for working on case report from chromatography unit (due today)

Wednesday Nov. 2
* Hair identification lab (finish analyzing own hair and compare to various mammal hair samples)
* Forensic use of hair
* Using hair to identify race

Thursday Nov. 3
* Forensic science uses of hair
* Analyzing other body hairs
* Hair wrapup

Friday Nov. 4
* Begin basics of fibers
* intro analysis of fibers lab

Monday Nov. 7
* Continue analysis of fibers lab

Tuesday Nov. 8
* Wrapup analysis of fibers
* paint analysis

Wednesday Nov. 9
* Catchup day
* Test review

Thursday Nov. 10
* Test

Parent/Teacher Conferences tonight from 5:00-7:30pm

Just a friendly reminder about P/T conferences tonight from 5-7:30. Extra credit will be rewarded to those whose parents attend. Hope to see you there.

Unit 3 - sand, soil, & glass analysis is in full swing & dollhouse crime scene project assigned

Here's the schedule for the unit:

Monday 10-10:

• Begin Soil Notes Day One (see wiki)
• Soil Lab Day One (see wiki)

Tuesday 10-11:

• Unit 2 test (results are in PowerSchool)
• Assign dollhouse crime scenes project (see wiki for requirements or click here)
• Groups of no less than two people and no more than three
• DUE DATE IS OCTOBER 24, 2011 - BRING TO CLASS WITH YOU & BE READY TO PRESENT.
• see the wiki for examples
• Click this link for an example that was featured on the show CSI

Wednesday 10-12:

• Analyze crime scene soil sample from soil lab day one
• Finish sand/soil notes
• Soil lab day 2 - staple to soil lab day one (see wiki)

Thursday 10-13:

• Analyze crime scene soil sample from soil lab day two
• Soil review
• Begin glass & fracture analysis notes (see wiki)

Friday 10-14:

• HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES - no normal class (wear your graduating class shirts - see homecoming blog for more info)

The rest of next week's schedule will be posted soon. Enjoy the remainder of Homecoming Week.