Program overview FSB01

Blood spatter
Using the laws of physics to explain bloodstains in forensic evidence
Blood spatter: suggested lesson plan The program is designed to enable students to participate in a range of activities that require them to make observations, collect, analyse and interpret data and try to form a conclusion. A scenario is included that drives the program however the program is flexible so it can be used in ways that suit you and your classroom. It would be difficult to recreate the crime scene in your own classroom however certain sections could be created with care. The online crime scene was recreated specifically for a WA Police Forensics training program using porcine (pig) blood. The program is organised into a series of PDF files. Background information for the teacher about various aspects of the program has been included. Teacher activity information has been provided for each activity with hints and technical notes. One PowerPoint presentation has been included for download. Computer-based resources include a crime scene and three statements about the crime: a suspect, a witness and a victim. Students use their knowledge gained from the program to decide what statement fits the evidence. Student worksheets are divided between a Personal Dossier and a Crime Dossier. Both documents can be printed to form two separate booklets that students work from, or you may choose to print and use only specific activities.

Session 1 What is blood? Why is it useful to solve crimes

FSB03, FSB04, FSB05 Set the scene by showing some footage from a movie or episode of CSI where someone is injured resulting in blood spatter. Use this to generate discussion on the use of blood to help solve crime. What do they already know about blood spatter? Brainstorm ideas on what they already know about blood and its physical properties.

Discussion of surface tension and why this is one of the most important properties of blood that allow forensics investigators to use blood spatter to solve crime.

Session 2 About blood spatter

FSB10 Talk about the blood spatter footage shown yesterday. Let the students discuss amongst themselves what they saw. Show the footage again and pause it on the blood spatter. Ask the students to discuss what they could find out from the blood spatter pattern to help work out how the crime was done. Share the ideas with the class and record them on the board. Show PowerPoint presentation (FSB10)Ask the students to discuss how each type is created. Brainstorm other things that might cause the size and shape of a blood spatter to change. Create some hypotheses.

Forensic investigations: Blood spatter (program overview) FSB01 | revised May 2013 | The University of Western Australia

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Licensed for NEALS

Session 3 The relationship between height and bloodstain diameter

Activity 1: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Conduct an experiment to find out how drop diameter and shape changes with height.

Session 9 Determining the area of origin

Activity 7: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Students receive a pattern of bloodstains that has been created by a different group of students. Using skills and techniques developed throughout the program they attempt to determine the area of origin of the bloodstains.

Session 4 Influence of surface texture

Activity 2: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Conduct an experiment to find out how the impact surface changes the size and appearance of a bloodstains. (Compare surfaces such as glass, lino, carpet, wood, concrete and grass.)

Session 10 Scenario
Activity 8: FSB07, FSB09, FSB11 Given a scenario and using the knowledge they have gained over the last few lessons students try to reconstruct a crime scene using bloodstain pattern analysis (need to keep records of each experiment piece together

Session 5 - Determining the direction of travel from a bloodstain pattern

Activity 3: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Conduct an experiment to find out how you can determine the direction a blood droplet came from. and therefore the angle of impact.

Session 11 What happened?

Sharing reconstructions and re-enacting what they think happened. Students present their evidence.

Session 6 How does the angle of impact affect bloodstains?

Activity 4: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Conduct an experiment to find out how the angle of impact affects bloodstain patterns.

Session 7 Calculate the angle of impact

Activity 5: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Use the results from Activity 4 to calculate the angle of impact of various blood droplets.

Session 8 The effect of velocity on bloodstains

Activity 6: FSB06, FSB07, FSB08 Do a demonstration or conduct an experiment to assess the effect that changing the amount of applied force has on the resulting bloodstains.

Forensic investigations: Blood spatter (program overview) FSB01 | revised May 2013 | The University of Western Australia

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Module overview: using the laws of physics to explain bloodstains in forensic evidence
Science Outcomes Lesson Outline & Activities Introduction and setting the scene What is forensic science? How is blood used as evidence Physical properties of blood About blood spatter Discussions of previous CSI footage PowerPoint presentation Activity 1 The relationship between the bloodstain diameter and dropping height Investigating scientifically: developing a hypothesis, identification of variables, results and conclusion writing. Assessment Resources FSB03 FSB03 FSB04 FSB05 What is forensic science Suggested episodes CSI About blood Properties of blood

FSB03 Suggested episodes CSI FSB10 Blood spatter PowerPoint FSB05 Height and bloodstain information FSB07 Height and bloodstain activity FSB08 Student Dossier FSB05 Surface and bloodstain information FSB07 Surface and bloodstain activity FSB08 Student Dossier FSB05 Direction of bloodstains information FSB07 Direction of bloodstains activity FSBS08 Student Dossier FSB05 Angle of impact information FSB07 Angle of impact activity. FSB08 Student Dossier

Activity 2 The effect of different receiving surfaces on bloodstains

Investigating scientifically: designing own experiment (hypothesis, variables, methods, results and conclusion) Investigating scientifically: designing own experiment (hypothesis, variables, methods, results and conclusion) Investigating scientifically: designing own experiment (hypothesis, variables, methods, results and conclusion)

Activity 3 Methods used to determine the direction of blood droplets

Activity 4 The effect of the angle of impact on the appearance of the blood spatter pattern Activity 5 Calculation of the angle of impact Activity 6 The effect of velocity on bloodstains

Investigating scientifically: designing own experiment (hypothesis, variables, methods, results and conclusion) Energy and Change: explanation of why droplets change with speed using the ideas of energy and force Investigating scientifically: designing own experiment (hypothesis, variables, methods, results and conclusion) Energy and Change: scientific ideas used in explanation of how the crime was committed

FSB05 Velocity and bloodstains information FSB07 Velocity and bloodstains activity FSB08 Student Dossier

Activity 7 Determining the origin of the blood

FSB05 Area of origin calculations information FSB07 Area of origin calculations activity FSB08 Student Dossier FSB07 Scenario information FSB11 Scenario activity FSB09 Crime Dossier

Students problem solve and apply their understandings to solving the crime.

Activity 8 The online scenario of the crime scene. Students will investigate the crime scene to try and determine who did it. This involves reconstructing what happened on the basis of the bloodstain pattern. Students may need to conduct more experiments themselves to determine what the spatter pattern is saying. Activity 9 Sharing reconstructions and reenacting what they think happened.

Students communicate ideas with other class members.

Communicating scientifically: sharing results with rest of class in an oral presentation.

FSB09 Crime File