ERIC Number: EJ752637
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Sep
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Forensic Analysis Demonstration via Hawaii Five-O
Shmaefsky, Brian R.
Journal of College Science Teaching, v36 n1 p14-16 Sep 2006
"Forensics," in its most universal sense, is defined as the use of science or technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence for determining identity or relatedness. Most forensic reasoning is used for arguing legal matters. However, forensic studies are also used in agronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to identify the properties of materials or compare two different materials. The interdisciplinary nature of a forensics-based demonstration encourages science majors to move beyond their own narrow fields of study. This article presents a forensics-based demonstration that emphasizes the interconnectedness of biology, chemistry, and geology. This demonstration asks students to determine the purported origins of three soils collected from three different regions on a Hawaiian island. Students are guided step-by-step through a forensic analysis procedure using two data sets for determining each sample's origin. The 10 steps to be conducted to embed inquiry-based learning during the demonstration are presented. (Contains 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Majors (Students), Persuasive Discourse, Biology, Agronomy, Geology, Chemistry, Interdisciplinary Approach, Science Instruction, Higher Education, Teaching Methods
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hawaii
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A