Fall 2000 - Mary Villani

Week of...

Sept. 4
1.Organization and Introduction to Forensic Science

Sept. 11
2. History of Forensic Science
3. Lab: Dancing Men

Sept. 18
1. Physical Evidence
2. The Significance of Physical Evidence
3. The Collection and Preservation of Physical Evidence
4. Case studies
5. Lab: The Crime Scene

Sept. 25
1. Processing the Crime Scene
2. Aspects of Evidence Collection
3. Rough and Smooth Sketches
4. The Admissibility of Evidence
5. Establishing a Chain of Custody
6. The Role of the Expert Witness
7. Lab: Hard Evidence 

Oct. 2
1. Case Studies: "Cracked cases"
2. Case Studies: Unsolved Mysteries
3. Lab: Rolling Fingerprints

Oct. 9
1. Fingerprinting
2. Lab: Rolling and Classification of Prints
          *** To be continued into single periods of the following week.

Oct. 16
1. Labs: 
a) Rolling and Classification of Prints
          *** To be continued from week before
b) Dusting and Lifting of Latent Prints
          *** To be continued into single period classes of the following week.

Oct. 23
1. Lab: Dusting and Lifting of Latent Prints
To be continued from week before
2. Ear prints
3. Lab: The Chemical Development of Latent Print Prints
          *** To be continued into single period classes during the following week

Oct. 30
1. Lab: The Chemical Development of Latent Prints (continued)
2. Hair as Physical Evidence
3. Lab: Examination and Comparison of Human Hair
          *** To be continued into single period classes during the following week

Nov. 6
1. Lab: Examination and Comparison of Human Hair (continued)
2. Lab: Hair Scale Preparation and Examination
3. Lab: Animal Hair Examination and Unknowns 
          *** To be continued into single period classes of the following week

Nov. 13
1. Lab: Animal Hair Examination and Unknowns (continued)
2. Fibers as Physical Evidence
3. Wayne Williams Case
4. Lab: Microscopic Examination of Fibers 

Nov. 20
1. Lab: Synthesizing and Dying Nylon Fibers 
2. Collecting, Preserving and Analyzing Paint Evidence
3. Auto Accidents
4. Hit and Run Accidents
5. Tire Impressions and Casts
6. The Collection and Preservation of Glass Evidence
7. The Chemistry of Fire
8. Arson Explosions
9. Lab: Hunt for Serial Arsonists

Nov. 27
1. The Psychological Profiles of Killers
a. Profiles of Serial Arsonists
b. Profiles of Mass Murderers
c. Profiles of Child Abusers
2. Psychic Sleuthing
5. Lab: Who Shot JFK?

Dec. 4
1. Opposing Viewpoints - Who Shot JFK?
a. JFK and the Mob
b. JKF and Cuba
c. The U.S. in the 1960s
2. The Collection and Preservation of Evidence
3. Serial Number Restoration

Dec. 11
1. The Murder of RFK
2. The Murder of Martin Luther King
3. Bullet Comparisons
4. Cartridge Cases
5. Gunpowder Residues 6. Trip to the New York State Crime Lab and NYS 
Police Academy
          **** Tentative date - More information to follow

Dec. 18
1. The Medical Examiner

Dec. 25
WINTER VACATION

Jan. 2
1. Unnatural Deaths: Case Studies
2. Unsolved Mysteries
3. Lab: The Best of the Forensic Autopsy

Jan. 8
1. Forensic Entomology
2. Insect Life Cycles
3. Using Insects to Solve Crime
4. Lab: Insects at the Crime Scene

Jan. 15
Mid-year Exams

Spring 2001 - Mary Villani

Week of...

Feb. 1
1. Review of Mid-year Exam
2. Forensic Anthropology
3. Skeletal studies - Animal versus Human
4. Lab: Butch and Sundance

Feb. 12
1. Grouping Sub grouping and Individualizing Skeletal remains
2. Production of Foot Casts and Foot Impressions
3. Lab: Snow Prints (weather permitting)
4. Lab: Skeletal Measurements

Feb. 19
MID-WINTER VACATION

Feb. 26
1. Skeletal Measurements continued
2. Aging Skeletal Remains
3. Race Determination
4. Sex Determination
5. Skeletal Remains and the Cause of Unnatural Deaths
6. Lab: The Mystery of Anastasia Romanoff

Mar. 5
1. Forensic Imaging
2. Facial Reconstruction
3. Forensic Odontology
4. Mammalian and Human Teeth
5. Grouping Sub grouping and Individualizing Dental Remains
7. Case Studies
8. Lab: The Forensic Artist
9. Careers in Forensic Science ******* tentative

Mar. 12
1. The Structure of DNA and the Human Genome
2. Nuclear DNA versus Nuclear DNA
3. DNA and Missing Persons
4. DNA and the Crime Scene
5 Lab: Murder Rape and DNA
6. DNA Landmark Cases
7. DNA Testing and the Judicial System
8. Distance Learning with John Jay College 
          ***** tentative 

Mar. 19
1. DNA Profiling Paper Simulation (RFLP)
2. DNA Isolation and Extraction
3. Lab: DNA Spooling

Mar. 26
1. Testing for DNA
2. Casting and Loading Gels Practice
3. Lab: Adding Restriction Enzymes and Dyes to Samples

Apr. 2
1. Electrophoresis
2. Southern Blotting
3. Hybridization
4. Lab: Loading Wells and Electrophoresis

Apr. 9
1. Observation and Analysis of RFLP test results
2. PCR Testing
3. Plant DNA versus Human DNA
4. Lab: Isolation of Squamous Cell DNA and Amplification of DNA in Thermal Cycler

Apr. 16
SPRING VACATION

Apr. 23
1. The Human Genome Project
2. Case Studies - using DNA typing by PCR
3. PCR Testing for Forensic Investigations versus PCR Testing for Genetic Research
5. Lab: Preparation of Cast Gels, Loading DNA Samples and Electrophoresis

Apr. 30
1. Observation of Lab Results
2. Human Mitochondrial DNA
3. Forensic Investigations With Mitochondrial DNA Technology - Case Studies
4. Lab: DNA Isolation from Hair Sheaths and Amplification of DNA in Thermal Cycler

May 7
1. Mitochondrial DNA and Missing People, MIAs
2. The Ethics of DNA Testing
3. DNA Testing and the Law
4. DNA Testing and Rights of Privacy
6. Lab: Preparation of Cast Gels, Loading and Electrophoresis

May 14
1. Observations of Lab Results
2. Forensic Toxicology
3. Examination of Organs and Tissues
4. Body Fluids
5. Lab: Aspirin Determination with Spectrophotometry

May 21
1. Blood Morphology and Blood Chemistry
2. Blood Stain Patterns
3. Species Test
4. The Grouping, Sub grouping and Individualization of Blood Stains
5. Lab: Blood Typing - Who Done It?
7. Trip to Washington, D.C.

May 28
1. Document Examination
2. Print and Script
3. Typewritten
4. Copy Machine
5. Computer generated
6. Ink Examination and Extraction
8. Lab: Document Examination

Jun. 4
1. The Forensic Psychiatrist versus The Document Examination Lab
2. Forged Documents and the Law
3. Counter fit money and the Law

Jun. 11
1. Legal Procedures - Discovery, Jury Selection, Shadow Juries, Insanity Pleas
2. Trials of the Century
3. Mock Trials
4. Lab: Mock Trial Presentations

Jun. 25
Shadow Program at the Albany Crime Lab