COURSE OF STUDY

FORENSIC SCIENCE

 

Fall 2001

Mary Villani

 

Week Of

Topic

 

Sept. 3

1. Organization and Introduction to Forensic Science

 

Sept.10

2. History of Forensic Science

3. Lab: Dancing Men

 

Sept.17

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.24

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.1

1. Case Studies: "Cracked Cases"

2. Case Studies: Unsolved Mysteries

3. Lab: Rolling Fingerprints

 

Oct.8

1. Fingerprinting

2. Lab: Rolling and Classification of Prints

*** To be continued into single periods

of the following week.

 

Oct.15

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. 22

1. Lab: Dusting and Lifting of Latent Prints

***To be continued from week before

2. Ear prints

 

3. Lab: The Chemical Development of Latent Prints

*** To be continued into single period

classes during the following week

Oct. 29

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. 5

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.12

1. Lab: Animal Hair Examination and Unknowns (continued)

2. Fibers as Physical Evidence

3. Wayne Williams Case

4. Lab: Microscopic Examination of Fibers

Nov. 19

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. 261. The Psychological Profiles of Killers

a. Profiles of Serial Arsonists

b. Profiles of Mass Murderers

c. Profiles of Child Abusers

2. Psychic Sleuthing

3. Lab: Who Shot JFK?

 

Dec. 3

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. 10

1. The Murder of JFK

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.17

1. The Coroner vs. The Medical Examiner

2. The Medical Autopsy

3. Establishing the Cause and Time of Death

4. The Morgue and the Crime Lab / Case Studies

5. The Medical Autopsy and the Criminal

6. Lab: The Science of Murder

7. Lab: Confessions of a Medical Examiner

 

Dec. 24

WINTER VACATION

 

Jan. 2

1. Unnatural Deaths: Case Studies

2. Unsolved Mysteries

3. Lab: The Best of the Forensic Autopsy

 

Jan. 7

1. Forensic Entomology

2. Insect Life Cycles

3. Using Insects to Solve Crime

4. Lab: Insects at the Crime Scene

 

Jan. 14

Mid-year Exams

 

COURSE OF STUDY

FORENSIC SCIENCE

 

Spring 2002

Mary Villani

 

Week of

Topic

 

Feb. 4

1. Review of Mid-year Exam

2. Forensic Anthropology

3. Skeletal studies - Animal versus Human

4. Lab: Butch and Sundance

 

Feb.11

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. 18

MID-WINTER VACTION

 

Feb. 25

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

 

March 4

1. Forensic Imaging

2. Facial Reconstruction

3. Forensic Odontology

4. Mammalian and Human Teeth

5. Grouping Sub grouping and Individualizing

Dental Remains

6. Case Studies

7. Lab: The Forensic Artist

8. Careers in Forensic Science ******* tentative

 

March 11

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

 

March 18

1. DNA Profiling Paper Simulation (RFLP)

2. DNA Isolation and Extraction

3. Lab: DNA Spooling

March 20

4. Guest Speakers in the school auditorium

Dr. Michael Baden And Dr. Lawrence Koblinsky

Topic: The World Trade Center As A Crime Scene Investigation / Germ Warfare

 

 

March 25

1. Testing for DNA

2. Casting and Loading Gels Practice

3. Lab: Adding Restriction Enzymes and Dyes to

Samples

 

April 1

1. Electrophoresis

2. Southern Blotting

3. Hybridization

4. Lab: Loading Wells and Electrophoresis

 

April 8

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

 

April 15

SPRING VACATION

 

April 22

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

4. Lab: Preparation of Cast Gels, Loading DNA

Samples and Electrophoresis

 

April 291. 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 6

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

5. Lab: Preparation of Cast Gels, Loading and

Electrophoresis

 

May 13

1. Observations of Lab Results

2. Forensic Toxicology

3. Examination of Organs and Tissues

4. Body Fluids

5. Lab: Aspirin Determination with

Spectrophotometry

 

May 20

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?

6. Trip to Washington, D.C.

 

May 27

1. Document Examination

2. Print and Script

3. Typewritten

4. Copy Machine

5. Computer generated

6. Ink Examination and Extraction

7. Lab: Document Examination

 

June 3

1. The Forensic Psychiatrist versus The

Document Examination Lab

2. Forged Documents and the Law

3. Counter fit money and the Law

4. TIPS Web Quest Project presentations

Mass Murderers in America

Rape on American College Campuses

Germ Warfare

Missing Children in America

 

June 10

1. Legal Procedures – Discovery, Jury Selection,

Shadow Juries, Insanity Pleas

2. Trials of the Century

3. Mock Trials

4. Lab: Mock Trial Presentations

June 24 Shadow Program