You are a senior enrolled in the forensic science course at The Bronx High School of Science. You learn that a student at the college you will be attending next fall has been raped, and rushed to a nearby hospital. The crime scene unit collected red stains, fingerprints and shoe prints at the victim’s dorm. Hairs, fibers and dried semen stains were collected from the victim during her medical examination. All physical evidence collected was sent to the crime lab. The police have identified the victim’s boyfriend as a possible suspect.

College students and their parents, college administrators, forensic scientists, and the President of the United States need your help to solve this case and determine what can be done about the crisis of rape on American college campuses.

Your class will work as a forensic team to help the police determine if there is sufficient evidence to arrest the boyfriend in connection with this crime. You will also help the President of the United States examine and assess the extent of this problem, examine the policies that address this problem and suggest new policies, if necessary.

In order to assist the police, you and your teammates must:

• Assume the role of the forensic expert who must examine the physical evidence of the case.
• Select one item of physical evidence collected at the crime scene or on the victim.
• Research the equipment you need to use, tests you need to perform and protocol you need to follow in this investigation. Refer to the resources listed in the "Science behind the Crime" and the "Contact the Experts" in the Field sections of this web quest and any additional resources you deem necessary.

• Work as a team to determine if the boyfriend should be included as a suspect.

To assist the President of the United States to effectively deal with the problem of rape on American college campuses you and your teammates will work on the President’s newly formulated Rape on American College Campuses Committee. You will:

• Select the role you want to play on this committee. Each committee must consist of at least one forensic investigator, one college student, one parent, and one member of the college administration and/or faculty.
• Research why rape is a problem on American college campuses (statistics, case studies and articles by experts). Refer to the suggested references in the resources (Problem section) of this web quest and/or use any additional references you deem necessary.
• Research and evaluate the current policies that address the problem. Refer to the suggested references listed in the resources (Policy section) of this web quest and/or use any additional references you deem necessary.
• Work as a committee to determine if these policies adequately address the problem, and suggest new policy, if necessary.

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, interviews with experts in the field, etc. to summarize your findings. Be sure to document your work.

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

• A clear identification of the problem.
• An explanation of the causes of the problem.
• An explanation of how forensic serologists and DNA experts examine and individualize blood evidence.
• An explanation of how fingerprint experts individualized fingerprints.
• An explanation of how shoe prints can be individualized.
• An explanation of how forensic biologists and DNA experts examine and individualize seminal stains.
• An evaluation of the current policies relating to the collection and processing of physical evidence in rape cases.
• An evaluation of the current policies relating to rape on American college campuses.
• Your most effective and feasible policy at the crime scene.
• Your most effective and feasible policy in the crime lab.
• Your most effective and feasible public policy.

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 Power Point presentation. For the policy decision component of this quest, search the web for pertinent information. Make sure to include surveys, statistics, and case studies. Evaluate the information in relation to the problem, present data to support your position and, if necessary, generate alternate policies (crime scene, laboratory and public).

• Develop the appropriate slides for your presentation. For each slide, include a synthesis of the information you have collected in a clear and concise manner. Include graphic elements that will make visual connections and contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Be sure to include references that correctly attribute all information collected for your slides and support your policy decisions.
• Present your slide show to the students in the forensic science classes.
• Post your slide show on the Forensic Science section of The Bronx High School of Science’s web site, www.bxscience.edu (click on Academics, followed by Departments, followed by Biology, followed by Home Page, followed by Forensic Biology, to Web Quest). 

• Tips Public Policy Analyst

• Campus Rape: Understanding the Numbers and Defining the Problem

• ABCNEWS.com: Study Focuses on Campus Rape

• Facts and Statistics

• What Causes People to Rape?

• Date Rape Statistics

• Beliefs About the Causes of Four Types of Rape

• One in Four / Facts and Statistics

• Rape on College Campuses

• Survey of Annual Rape Rate

• Acquaintance Rape on College Campuses

• Date Rape: College’s Dirty Secret

• The Campus Rape Scare

• Biological Evidence: Blood and other Body Fluids

• Forensic Evidence Collection and Care of Sexual Assault Survivor

• Special Consideration foe Sexual Assault Evidence

• Evidence Collection Guidelines

• Blood Evidence

• Patterns of Blood Spatter used in Forensic Science

• Build a Case from a Drop of Blood

• Use of Technology to Analyze Evidence from Crime Areas

• From Presumptive Test to STR Profile

• Blood Stain Characterization

• Luminol Test

• Benzidine Color Test

• Forensic Serology and Individualizing Blood Types

• How DNA is used

• Trace Evidence

• Hair and Fiber Examination

• Fingerprints and other Impressions

• FBI Latent Print

• Shoe Print Collection

• Developing Latent Prints at Crime Scenes

• Minutiae

• Serology / DNA

• Blood Expert Information

• Blood Evidence: Considerations at the Crime Scene

• DNA Forensics

• Individual Differences in Human Blood

• Recovery and Collection of Fingerprints

• Fingerprints at Crime Scenes

• Shoeprint Comparison

• DNA Fingerprint Analysis and Image Collection

• Shoeprint Examinations

• Semen Identification

www.geneticid.com/we03004.htm

• Submission of Serum, Semen and Tissue Samples

• Semen Analysis

www.crestwoodbabies.com/semenanalysis.htm

• The New York State Police Forensic Science Laboratory System http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/ForSc/ForScindex.html
• Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (NEAFS) http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5122/labs.htm
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) http://www.aafs.org/
• American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) http://www.criminalistics.com/ABC/abchome.htm

• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) http://www.ascld.org/

• DNA Learning Center (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) http://www.cshl.org

• Sexual Assault Policies

• Sexual Offense Laws

• Federal Laws to Provide Safety on College Campuses

• Campus Security Act in Cloud County Community College

• New Regulations from the U.S. Department of Education

• Policy on Sexual Assault and Acquaintance Rape

• Campus Security Policy – Jacksonville State University

• Policy of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

• The Ohio State University – Campus Safety

• Rape – The Vulnerability of the College Student

• A Question of Rape

• St. Francis College Policy on Sex Offenses

• Hilbert College – Student Life – Rape and Sexual Assault Policy

• Emerson College :Campus Policies: Rape and Sexual Assault Policy

• Whitman College: Whitman Date Rape Policy

• Sexual Assault: What Colleges Can Do

• Alta Vista http://www.altavista.com

• Excite http://www.excite.com

• ERIC http://www.ERIC.com

• Entire Web http://www.entireweb.com

• Google http://www.google.com

• San Diego State University Library

• Specialized Search Engines http://ww.SpecializedSearchEngines.com

• Yahoo http://www.Yahoo.com

• Clip Art http://www.ArtClipArt.com

Your grade will be determined according to the following scale:

• Facts and information from multiple internet sources 1 2 3 4 5
• Synthesis of information from multiple references 1 2 3 4 5
• Analysis of information 1 2 3 4 5
• Conclusions drawn from the results of the investigation 1 2 3 4 5
• Written clearly and succinctly 1 2 3 4 5
• Grammar 1 2 3 4 5
• Understanding of scientific concepts 1 2 3 4 5
• Understanding of public policy 1 2 3 4 5
• Policy evaluation and design 1 2 3 4 5
• Bibliography 1 2 3 4 5

• State the purpose for your project 1 2 3 4 5
• Supporting information 1 2 3 4 5
• Presents information clearly and succinctly 1 2 3 4 5
• Clarity of concepts 1 2 3 4 5
• Effective use of PowerPoint slides 1 2 3 4 5
• How well presenter held the audience’s attention 1 2 3 4 5
• The organization of facts and information 1 2 3 4 5
• Public policy 1 2 3 4 5
• Policy decisions and solutions 1 2 3 4 5
• Bibliography 1 2 3 4 5

• Ten to fifteen slides 1 2 3 4 5
• Visual impact of slides 1 2 3 4 5
• Easy navigation from slide to slide 1 2 3 4 5
• Use of qualitative and quantitative information 1 2 3 4 5
• Clear and succinct presentation 1 2 3 4 5
• Use of multiple sources 1 2 3 4 5
• Appropriate graphics to illustrate the content
• and conceptual understandings 1 2 3 4 5

• Identification of the problem and the cause of the problem 1 2 3 4 5
• Policy and policy solutions 1 2 3 4 5
• Bibliography 1 2 3 4 5

• Mini research reports collected bimonthly up to and including March 1^st.
• Slide show due April 30th
• Oral presentations for all forensic science classes due on May 1^st.
• PowerPoint presentation posted online May 10^th.