Download Syllabus for Niagara Falls High School NUSTEP Forensic Class

Syllabus for Niagara Falls High School NUSTEP Forensic Class
Chapter 1 Observation Skills
 define observation and describe what changes occur in the brain
 describe examples of factors influencing eyewitness accounts of events
 compare the reliability of eyewitness testimony with what actually happened
 relate observation skills to their use in forensic science
 define forensic science
 practice and improve your observation skills
Chapter 2 Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection
 summarize Locard’s exchange principle
 identify four examples of trace evidence
 distinguish between direct and circumstantial evidence
 identify the type of professionals who are present at a crime scene
 summarize the three steps of a crime scene investigation
 explain the importance of securing the crime scene
 identify the methods by which a crime scene is documented
 demonstrate proper technique in collecting and packaging trace evidence
 describe how evidence from a crime scene is analyzed
Chapter 3 The Study of Hair
 identify the various parts of a hair
 describe variations in the structure of the medulla, cortex, and cuticle
 distinguish between human and nonhuman hair
 determine if two examples of hair are likely to be from the same person
 explain how hair can be used in a forensic investigation
Chapter 4 A Study of Fibers and Textiles
 identify and describe common weave patterns of textile samples
 compare and contrast various types of fibers through physical and chemical analysis
 describe principle characteristics used to identify common fibers
 apply forensic science techniques to analyze fibers
 Chat believably about the chemical make-up of polymers
Chapter 5 Pollen and Spore Examination
 distinguish between and explain how pollen and spore evidence can be used in crime
investigation
 define a pollen fingerprint
 classify the different organisms that produce pollen and spores
 compare and contrast the female and male reproductive parts in plants
 distinguish between gymnosperms and angiosperms
Chapter 6 Fingerprints
 describe the characteristics of fingerprints and fingerprinting minutiae
 explain when and how fingerprints are formed
 describe what causes fingerprints to be left on objects
 identify the basic types of fingerprints
 describe how criminals attempt to alter their fingerprints
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determine the reliability of fingerprints as a means of identification
describe the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IFAIS)
explain how fingerprint evidence is collected
describe the latest identification technologies
determine if a fingerprint matches a fingerprint on record
use the process of lifting a latent print
Chapter 7 DNA Fingerprinting
 explain how crime scene evidence is collected and processed to obtain DNA
 describe how radioactive probes are used in DNA fingerprinting
 explain how DNA evidence is compared for matching
 explain how to use DNA fingerprinting to identify DNA from a parent, child, other relative, or a
non-related individual
 Associate an understanding of DNA with family health issues
Chapter 8 Blood and Blood Splatter
 explain the composition of blood
 describe the function of blood cells
 determine the blood type of a blood sample
 conduct a blood spatter analysis
 find and process blood evidence
Chapter 9 Drug Identification and Toxicology
 identify the five types of controlled substances
 relate signs and symptoms of overdose with a specific class of drugs or toxins
 describe the role of various types of toxins in causing death
 discuss agents that may be used in bioterrorism
 define and describe the goals and practice of toxicology
 research and discuss chemical changes in the body accounting for the effects of drugs and toxins
Chapter 10 Handwriting Analysis, Forgery, and Counterfeiting
 describe 12 types of handwriting characteristics that can be analyzed in a document
 demonstrate an example of each of the 3 types of handwriting traits
 identify the major goal of a forensic handwriting analysis
 identify several ways that businesses prevent check forgery
 describe 4 features of paper currency that are used to detect counterfeit bills
 Discuss the chemical analysis of inks and papers that are used to identify forgeries and/or
suspects
Chapter 11 Death: Manner, Mechanism, Cause, and Time
 explain the development of livor, rigor, and algor mortis following death
 use evidence of these to estimate time of death
 use evidence on stomach contents to estimate time of death
 use insect evidence to estimate time of death
 explain how environmental factors can affect the estimated time of death
Chapter 12 Soil Examination
 distinguish the different kinds of soil compositions
 discuss soil horizons
 explain the chemistry of soils
 distinguish the different kinds of sand
 describe the collection and examination of soil evidence
Chapter 13 Forensic Anthropology: What We Learn from Bones
 describe how bone is formed
 distinguish between male and female skeletal remains
 explain how bones contain a record of injuries and disease
 describe how a person’s approximate age could be determined
 discuss the role of mitochondrial DNA in bone identification
Chapter 14 Glass Evidence
 explain how glass is formed
 list some of the characteristics of glass
 provide examples of different types of glass
 calculate the density of glass
 use the refractive index to identify different types of glass
 describe how glass fractures
 analyze glass fracture patterns
Chapter 15 Cast and Impressions
 distinguish between patent, latent, and plastic impressions
 describe how to make foot, shoe, and tire impressions
 use track width and wheel base information to identify vehicles
 prepare dental impressions and match them with bite marks
Chapter 16 Tool Marks
 describe the three major types of tool mark impressions
 summarize the steps of a tool mark examination and analysis
 explain how technology is helping in criminal investigations
 match tool marks with the instrument that produced them
Chapter 17 Ballistics
 describe rifling on a gun barrel and explain how it marks a bullet
 explain barrel size and caliber
 describe how bullets are test fired and matched
 discuss the role of ballistics recovery and examination at a crime scene
 determine the position of the shooter based on bullet trajectory