Mary Villani

The Bronx High School of Science

Forensic Science / Criminalistics Web Quest

(12th grade)

 

MASS MURDERERS IN AMERICA:

AN AMERICAN NIGHTMARE

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Mass murderers kill two or more people at one time. They cause great pain to the families of their victims and produce fear in people who live in their neighborhoods. Profilers or psychological detectives try to understand the minds, thoughts and emotions of mass murderers. Using investigative skills they delve deeply into crime scene evidence, police records, and analyze victim profiles to construct a personal print of the perpetrator of the crime.

You are a forensic profiler hired by the President of the United States to serve on a Crisis Intervention and Referral Committee to help point out the type of suspect with which the police should be concentrating on the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Determine what motivates mass murderers to kill and determine methods for effectively dealing with mass murderers in America.

TASK:

Your class will work as a forensic team to: analyze the physical evidence related to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman; develop a psychological profile of the killer(s); examine and assess the problem of mass murderers in America; examine the policies that address the problem; and suggest new policies, if necessary.

PROCESS:

To assist the police in their investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, you and your class will work as a forensic team. Each team must include at least one forensic profiler and any other forensic experts you deem necessary:

To assist the President of the United States to effectively deal with mass murderers in America:

Prepare a Power Point presentation using the guidelines outlined in the Power Point Presentation section of this web quest. Use graphs, tables, concept maps, illustrations and interviews with experts in the field, etc. to summarize your findings. Be sure to document your work.

POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Your class will prepare a Power Point presentation in which you should address the following information:

For the science behind the crime, search the Internet to find information such as: laboratory protocols and equipment, diagrams, photographs, etc. Also evaluate the results and incorporate this information into your PowerPoint presentation. For the policy decision component of this quest, search the web for pertinent information, including surveys, statistics, case studies, etc. Evaluate the information in relation to the problem, present data to support your position and, if necessary, generate alternate policy (crime scene, laboratory, court room and public).

 

RESOURCES

TIPS PUBLIC POLICY GUIDELINES

THE PROBLEM

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE CRIME

 

CONTACT EXPERTS IN THE FIELD

POLICY

SEARCH ENGINES
  • www.SanDiegoStateUniversity/Library.com

    •  

    EVALUATION

    Your grade will be determined according to the following scale:

    Power Point Presentation. (35%) Your PowerPoint presentation will consist of 10-15 slides. Use the guidelines outlined in the PowerPoint presentation section of this quest as your guide. Make certain that your audience can navigate easily from slide to slide. Your final slide must identify your class, list the names of the students in the class and generate a MLA style list of the sources you used throughout your previous slides. Be certain that each of your slides is thoroughly designed and well prepared to make a positive visual impact on the audience. Use qualitative and quantitative information. All kinds of photographs, graphs, drawings, etc., can be presented. Be certain to gather information from multiple sources and to synthesize the information well. Also, utilize this information to succinctly state the problem, identify the causes of the problem and formulate a clearly stated conclusion regarding the best policy for forensic investigators and the public in general regarding missing/murdered American children.

    Written Reports (35%) You will be required to write mini research reports. In order to do this, you will have to search the Internet for appropriate articles, synthesize, analyze and draw conclusions from the information you have collected. Research topics include: how to profile a mass murderer, how blood evidence is characterized and individualized, how to determine the cause of death, time of death and circumstances related to the death, identifying the problem and causes of the problem and policy issues ( at the crime scene, in the lab, in court and public policy). All information submitted must be appropriately documented and must include the appropriate graphics to illustrate the content and conceptual understanding behind the investigation.

    Oral Evaluation (15%) You will serve as a guest speaker for all of the forensic science classes at The Bronx High School of Science. Your oral PowerPoint presentation will be graded on your familiarity with the topic, clarity of concepts, use of visual aids, how well you held the audience’s attention, audibility, and grammar.

    Bibliography (15%) Use the MLA format to correctly attribute information to all rightful sources.

     

    GRADING POLICY

    Range

    1 = Poor

    5 = Excellent

    Written Research Projects Scoring

     

    Oral Presentation Scoring

     

    PowerPoint Presentation Scoring

    Determination of Grades

    40 – 50 = A

    30 – 39 = B

    20 – 29 = C

    10 – 19 = D

    Below 10 = F

    Timeframe

    HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

    S1 Physical Sciences Concepts

    S1b Demonstrates an understanding of structure and properties of matter.

    S2 Life Science Concepts

    S2d Demonstrates an understanding of matter, energy, and organization in living systems.

    S2f Demonstrates an understanding of behavior of organisms.

    S4 Scientific Connections and Applications

    S4a Demonstrates an understanding of big ideas and unifying concepts.

    S4d Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of technology.

    S4e Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of science.

    S5 Scientific Thinking

    S5a Frames questions to distinguish cause and effect; and identifies or controls variables.

    S5b Uses concepts from Science Standards 1 to 4 to explain a variety of observations and phenomena.

    S5c Uses evidence from reliable sources to develop descriptions, explanations, and models; and makes appropriate adjustments and improvements.

    S5d Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and opinion.

    S5e Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations.

    S5f Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and idea.

    S6 Scientific Tools and Technologies

    S6a Uses technology and tools to observe and measure objects, organisms, and phenomena, directly, indirectly, and remotely, with appropriate consideration of accuracy and precision.

    S6b Records and stores data using a variety of formats.

    S6c Collects and analyzes data using concepts and techniques in Mathematics Standard 4.

    S6d Acquires information from multiple sources.

    S6e Recognizes and limits sources of bias in data.

    S7 Scientific Communication

    S7a Represents data and results in multiple ways.

    S7b Argues from evidence.

    S7c Critiques published materials.

    S7d Explains a scientific concept or procedure to other students.

    S7e Communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience

    S8 Scientific Investigation

    S8b Demonstrates scientific competence by completing fieldwork.

    S8d Demonstrates scientific competence by completing secondary research.

    HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

    M1 Number and Operation Concepts

    M1a Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, and root-extraction.

    M1e Represent numbers in various forms and graph them.

    M1h Understand dimensionless numbers as well as numbers with

    specific units of measure.

    M1k Use a scientific calculator effectively and efficiently.

    M2 Geometry and Measurement Concepts

    M2c Use congruence and similarity in describing relationships between figures.

    M2m Understand the structure of standard measurement systems.

    M3 Function and Algebra Concepts

    M3a Model given situations and formulas and functions, and interpret given formulas and functions in terms of situations.

    M3k Make predictions by interpolating or extrapolating.

    M4 Statistics and Probability Concepts

    M4a Organize, analyze, and display single-variable data appropriately.

    M4b Organize, analyze, and display two-variable data appropriately.

    M4c Using sampling techniques to draw inferences.

    M4d Understand that inferencing from a sample involves uncertainty and that the role of statistics is to estimate the size of that uncertainty.

    M4e Formulate hypotheses to answer a question and use data to

    test hypothesis.

    M4f Interpret representations of data, compare distributions of data and critique conclusions.

    M4g Explore questions of experimental design, control groups and ability.

    M4h Create and use models of probability and understand the

    role of assumptions.

    M5 Problems Solving and Reasoning

    M5a Formulation.

    M5b Implementation.

    M5c Conclusion.

    M5d Mathematical reasoning.

    M6 Mathematical Skills and Tools

    M6a Carry our numerical calculations and symbol manipulations effectively.

    M6b Use a variety of methods to estimate the values, in appropriate units, to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

    M6g Create and interpret graphs of many kinds.

    M6j Use technology to create graphs or spreadsheets.

    M6l Use tools in solving problems.

    M6m Know standard methods to solve basic problems and use these methods in approaching more complex problems.

    M7 Mathematical Communication

    M7b Use mathematical representations with appropriate accuracy.

    M7d Communicate logical arguments clearly, showing sensibility and validity.

    M8 Putting Mathematics to Work

    M8a Data study.

     

    HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

    E1 Reading

    E1c Read and comprehend informational materials.

    E2 Writing

    E2a Produce a report of information.

    E2e Produce a persuasive essay.

    E3 Speaking, Listening, and Viewing

    E3a Participate in one-to-one conferences with the teacher.

    E3b Participate in group meetings.

    E3c Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

    E3d Make informed judgments about TV, radio, and film.

    E4 Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English Language

    E4a Independently and habitually demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work.

    E4b Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

    E5 Literature

    E5a Respond to non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive and critical processes.

    E5b Produce work in at least one genre that follows the genre.

    E6 Public Documents

    E6a Critique public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse.

    E6b Produce public documents.

    E7 Functional Documents

    E7a Critique functional documents with an eye to strategies common to effective functional documents.

    E7b Produce functional documents appropriate to audience and purpose.

     

    HIGH SCHOOL APPLIED LEARNING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

    A1 Applied Learning

    A1a Design a Product, Service, or System: Identify needs that could be met by new products, services, or systems and create solutions for meeting them.

    A1b Improve a System: Develop an understanding of the way systems of people, machines, and processes work; troubleshoot problems in their operation and devise strategies for improving their effectiveness.

    A2 Communication Tools and Techniques

    A2c Develop a multi-media presentation.

    A3 Information Tools and Techniques

    A3a Gather information to assist in completing project work.

    A3b Use on-line sources to exchange information for specific purposes.

    A3c Use word-processing software to produce a multi-page document.

    A5 Tools and Techniques for Working With Others

    A5a Participate in the establishment and operation of self-directed work teams.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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