Forensic+Science

Librarian's e-mail: lellis3@schools.nyc.gov

 * Introduction:** Given the popularity of forensic science in our culture, it makes sense to develop a collection that serves as an entry point for students to study this multifacited genre that integrates with so many areas of science and other disciplines.

What is forensic science? What different branches of science and social science are involved in the study of forensics and how? How did DNA revolutionize the field of forensics? Why are so many people fascinated by forensics? How has forensic science altered the nature of criminal investigations? What career opportunities are in forensics?

Keywords:
Crime, DNA, serial killers, trace evidence, murder, autopsy

Subject Headings:
Forensic sciences, Criminal investigations, Investigations, Criminology, Forensic scientists, Forensic anthropology, Forensic pathologists, Fingerprinting, Medical Examiners, DNA

Dewey Decimal Classification(s):
363.25, 614, 615.9

Key Books:
Examines DNA testing and the conflicts between law enforcement and civil liberties' concerns that the government has too much access to information about the genetic makeup of its citizens. || History and pioneers -- The scientific approach -- Dyes and pigments; inks and paints -- Detecting document forgery -- Counterfeiting currency -- Forging art, history, and science -- Conclusion : The future of fakes, forgeries, and counterfeits. Provides information about forgery and fraud, discussing counterfeiting currency, electronic and digital signatures, dating ink, handwriting analysis, and other related topics. || Presents an introduction to the field of forensic science, looking at how scientific evidence is used in crime detection, and the tools and technologies used to determine the evidence, and discusses the history and advances in the field. Includes CD-ROM. || Presents a collection of real-life cases that have been solved by forensic artists and facial reconstructions. || Hard evidence -- Crime scene investigators -- Who are you? -- What happened? -- New technologies. An introduction to forensic science that examines real-life criminal cases and the technologies used to solve them. || Provides an introduction to forensic science and the techniques used by crime scene investigators, and describes twenty related activities and experiments appropriate for science fairs, including the analysis of blood spatter patterns, DNA extraction, lie detection, document recovery, and others. || Profiles forty true crime cases and explains how their investigations were aided by the use of forensic science. || Re-creating the crime -- All in the mind -- The mad bomber -- The tylenol murders -- The Seattle arsonist -- Other famous cases. Focuses on solving crimes through the science of criminal profiling, the prediction of criminal behavior. || Profiles real-life cases that have been solved through DNA matches; and explores the career of a DNA specialist. || The crime scene -- Bodies, bugs, and bones -- The Gouff case -- Body in the carpet -- The casket man -- Other famous cases. Describes how the science of forensic anthropology helps to identify corpses and solve crimes; and includes three actual crime stories in graphic novel format. || Provides information about drugs, poisons, and chemistry; and discusses the work of forensic chemists, toxicologists, and medical examiners; while also providing information on instrumentation and equipment used in analysis, the Marsh test, and other related topics. ||
 * 345.73 MAR || Marzilli, Alan. __DNA evidence.__ Philadelphia : Chelsea House, c2005.
 * 363.25 BEL || Bell, Suzanne. __Fakes and forgeries.__ New York : Facts On File, c2009.
 * 363.25 COO || Cooper, Chris. __Forensic science.__ London ; : DK, 2008.
 * 363.25 DEN || Denega, Danielle. __Have you seen this face? : the work of forensic artists.__ New York : Franklin Watts, c2007.
 * 363.25 FRI || Fridell, Ron. __Forensic science.__ Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications, c2007.
 * 363.25 HAR || Harris, Elizabeth Snoke, 1973-. __Crime scene science fair projects.__ 1st ed. New York : Lark Books, c2006.
 * 363.25 OWE || Owen, David, 1939-. __Hidden evidence : 40 true crimes and how forensic science helped solve them.__ Willowdale, Ont. ; : Firefly Books, c2000.
 * 363.25 SHO || Shone, Rob. __Solving crimes through criminal profiling.__ 1st ed. New York : Rosen central, c2008.
 * 572.8 PRO || Prokos, Anna. __Guilty by a hair! : real-life DNA matches!__ New York : Franklin Watts, c2007.
 * 614 SHO || Shone, Rob. __Corpses and skeletons : the science of forensic anthropology.__ 1st ed. New York : Rosen Central, 2008.
 * 615.9 BEL || Bell, Suzanne. __Drugs, poisons, and chemistry.__ New York : Facts On File, c2009.

Reference:
__Encyclopedia of Forensic Science__ New York: Facts-on-File, 2004.

Fiction:
Forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter is prevailed upon to leave London and travel to a remote island in the Outer Hebrides to inspect a corpse that has beenbadly burned--except for one hand and one foot--and left in an unoccupied cottage that shows no fire damage, and the situation deteriorates as more bodies turn up and a storm moves in, trapping a now endangered Hunter with little hope of rescue. || In a futuristic London, sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding and his robotic assistant, Malc, investigate a series of murders in which there are no traces of a murder weapon, and the only thing the victims seem to have in common is their name. ||
 * FIC BEC || Beckett, Simon. __Written in bone.__ New York : Delacorte Press, 2007.
 * FIC ROS || Rose, Malcolm. __Roll call.__ Boston : Kingfisher, 2005.

• Online:
Joseph, Linda C.. "Who Dunnit." __Multimedia Schools__ Vol 7. Issue 4Sept. 2000 32-35. 10 Mar 2009 . "What is Forensic Science?." __Monkeyshines on Health and Science__ March 2003 1. 10 Mar 2009 . Baker, William P., Elizabeth DeBeus, and Carlton "Buck" Jones. "The Case for Forensic Toxicology." __Science Activities__ Fall 2006 3-7. 09 Mar 2009 <[|http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=sch& AN=23182419&site=srck5-live]>. "Using Forensic Science Problems as Teaching Tools." __Science Teacher__ Vol. 73 Issue 8Nov. 2006 38-43. 08 Mar 2009 .

Web Sites:
[] PBS Teachers Activity Packs that accompany the series on forensic science. Includes worksheets, interactive flash activities on fingerprinting, and much more!
 * PBS**

[] A Website dedicated to the history of forensic medicine. It includes cases, technologies used, primary source artifacts, biographies of famous toxicologists and pathologists, video clips (pathologists at work and performed autopsy), and images. It also offers online activities and web resources.
 * Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body **

[]
 * CSI: Crime Seen, Investigated from the Why Files **

Site that explores forensic entomology, graphology, and forensic anthropology.

[] This site provides an overview of the various areas of forensic science: Scene, Autopsy, Identity, Evidence, Suspects, Weapons, and Trickery. Each topic is broken down nicely with appropriate images and concise description. The site also includes lesson plans, a glossary, case studies, and science experiments in addition to interactive puzzles, crosswords, and quizzes.
 * Forensic Science” Thinkquest **

[] Explores what happens during decomposition of bodies and looks at the forensic evidence of the process
 * Decomposition**

[] Details crime scene investigations and evidence collecting. Also contains many details about careers in forensic sciences
 * Crime Scene Investigation**

[] Great site detailing careers in forensic sciences from what they do, to how much they make, to the different disciplines within the profession.
 * American** **Academy** **of Forensic Sciences**

[] Site from NOVA online that simulates a crime with suspects and leads viewers through creating a DNA fingerprint and then choosing the culprint
 * Create a DNA Fingerprint**

[] Provides a detailed lesson plan for how to do this in the classroom
 * High School Forensic Investigation and Mock Trial**

[] Presents true-life crime cases in which different types of forensics were used to solve the crime
 * Tru TV**

Videos/DVDs:
An introduction to forensic science that examines the day-to-day responsibilities of forensic scientists, and covers the role they play in solving criminal investigations, as well as the methods and techniques they use to gather evidence and clues. || Combining the latest forensic techniques plus old-fashioned police work, each episode takes a step-by-step look at how a mystery is finally solved and the culprit at last aprrehended. || Narrated by Max Raphael. Presents an overview of the history of the FBI's crime laboratory, from 1932 to its state-of-the-art complex in Quantico, Virginia, discussing the development of FBI forensics, and changes that have occurred since the war on terrorism. || Introduces students to the basic forensic methods used to solve crimes, resolve legal issues, and date antiques. || Narrators, Thom Kikot, Leyna Juliet Weber. Examines the groups and periods of the periodic table of elements, looks at the role of chemistry in forensic investigations and fireworks, and discusses discoveries being made about the uses of carbon. || Hosted by Bill Nye. Bill Nye hosts a discussion of genetics, explaining how scientists came to understand the rules of inheritance, discussing subsequent discoveries in the field including those related to DNA, and looking at how DNA sequences are used in forensic investigations. || DVD-ROM features: Teaching materials (PDF) -- A link to the Nova Web site, pbs.org/nova. Narrator, Neil Ross ; featured experts, Eadaoin Campbell, Don Brothwell, Andrew Wilson, Tim Taylor, Ned Kelly, Miranda Aldhouse-Green. Forensic scientists piece together the circumstances of the death of Old Croghan Man, a headless Iron Age corpse discovered in a bog in Ireland and thought to have been the sacrificial victim of Celtic ritual. || Narrator, Thom Kikot, Leyna Juliet Weber. Explores the forensic uses of archaeology and geology, looking at investigations of China's Shang Dynasty, the mummies of Peru, religious and cultural relics of Jerusalem, the skeleton of a decades-old murder victim, and Earth's magnetic poles. || William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle, Jorja Fox. Forensic scientists of the Las Vegas Police Department analyze evidence from crime scenes. ||
 * DVD 363.25 ALL || __All about forensic science.__ [Standard format]. White Plains, NY : VEA (Video Education America), c2007.
 * DVD 363.25 COL || __Cold case files.__ Standard format. New York : A&E Home Video :, 2005, c2000.
 * DVD 363.25 FBI || __FBI crime lab.__ Standard format. New York : History Channel :, 2006, c2003.
 * DVD 363.25 FOR || __Forensics.__ Standard format. [Silver Spring, Md.] : Discovery School ;, c2004.
 * DVD 540 CHE || __Chemistry at work.__ Widescreen format. Silver Spring, MD : Discovery School, 2005, c2004.
 * DVD 576.5 GEN || __Genetics.__ Widescreen format. Silver Spring, MD : Discovery School, c2005.
 * DVD 599.9 PER || __The perfect corpse.__ Widescreen. [South Burlington, Vt.?] : WGBH Boston Video, c2006.
 * DVD 614 ARC || __Archaeology at work.__ Standard format. Silver Spring, MD : Discovery School, 2005, c2004.
 * DVD FIC CSI || __CSI.__ [Standard format]. Hollywood, Calif. : Paramount Home Entertainment, c2003.

CDs:
Introduces the terms and techniques used by forensic scientists when investigating crime, featuring an inside look at a crime lab, with interactive exercises that allow viewers to attempt to solve crimes themselves. || Presents an introduction to the field of forensic science, looking at how scientific evidence is used in crime detection, and the tools and technologies used to determine the evidence, and discusses the history and advances in the field. Includes CD-ROM. || Describes how blood analysis is used to solve crimes, including the tests performed by lab technicians on samples to determine blood type and other characteristics, and finding, saving and interpreting blood evidence. || Explains how forensic entomologists use insects found at crime scenes to help police solve crimes. || Describes clues bodies leave behind about the cause of death, procedures for autopsies, and ways medical examiners form an opinion about how a death has occurred. ||
 * 363.25 CLU || __Clues in crime : the role of forensic science in criminal investigations.__ Knoxville, TN : Erroyo :, c2002.
 * 363.25 COO || Cooper, Chris. __Forensic science.__ London ; : DK, 2008.
 * 363.25 ROL || Rollins, Barbara B. __Blood evidence.__ Mankato, MN : Capstone Press, c2008.
 * 363.25 ROL || Rollins, Barbara B. __Blood evidence.__ Mankato, MN : Capstone Press, c2008.
 * 614 MAR || Martin, Michael, 1948-. __Insect evidence.__ Mankato, MN : Capstone Press, c2008.
 * 614 ROL || Rollins, Barbara B. __Cause of death.__ Mankato, MN : Capstone Press, c2008.

**Standard 4: Science**
=== Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. ===