Today is the first day of the Forensic Science Workshop. In her introduction, Cornelia provides a presentation exploring the aspects of what forensic science really is. The students are helped to understand how forensic science, as well as all other types of sciences involve collaboration. Cornelia explains that the kids will be taking part in activities that will help them understand how forensic science is important in life itself. Forensic science involves cryptology, code-breaking, entomology, facial reconstruction, osteology, morphology, pathology, taxonomy, and Questioned Document Analysis. The kids seem eager and willing to answer the questions being asked and found it easy to answer many of the questions being directed to them.
Cornelia begins with an activity that engages the kids in the act of observation. She shows them a picture and allows them 30 seconds to take a good look at it, using their observation skills. Then Cornelia takes away the picture and asks the kids as a group a series of questions about what was in the picture. This activity encourages the kids to use their observational skills.
The second activity is where half of the kids in the room leave. One half of the kids are labeled as 'investigators', where as the other half are the 'observers'. The 'observers' take a look at a few pictures where a supposed crime took place and they try their best to make sure that they remember what they see. On the other hand, the 'investigators' put together a series of questions to ask the 'observers' based on the picture that they saw. Then after the two groups separately collaborate, they come together as one big group and an 'investigator' asks the group of 'observers' questions about where the crime took place, based on the picture they saw. As the kids from each group ask each other questions it is evident how enthusiastic they become and how specific they must become so that they can find exactly where the crime took place. Then, a person dressed up in layers of clothing is sent running through the room where the kids are. The kids seem very alarmed and become excited. Cornelia has this set up so that the kids will have to analyze and describe who he is and what he was wearing. After they make assertions about who this mystery person is, Cornelia brings the so-called 'mystery person' in front of the kids and re-evaluates the assertions that they make. Many assertions were wrong, but several were right. As a result, the kids seem to understand that analyzing a criminal involves group collaboration because one person may see what another person does not. The kids seem very interested in the activity and even inquire about indirectly related questions. The kids are encouraged to be critical thinkers, in which this workshop helps them to do.
The kids then take a break.
After the break, Adam talks about 'code-breaking' and its role in forensic science. He speaks of a contraption called an "enigma," and how it was decoded by brilliant people during the time of World War II. Without the decoding techniques that the British used, the German codes sent in regards to the U-Boats would not have been broken and in turn, the war may have lasted much longer than they did. Each of the kids are next given a code to break based on a table or key they have been given. The kids were able to easily determine that the first code was merely the letters written backwards. The next code they are given involves that they decipher it using the internet (Forensic Science site). They encouraged to collaborate with each other if necessary. This activity once again encourages the use of critical thinking. The code that they used was labeled as Rot13.
The next activity that Adam introduces is "Decode de Code". It is an internet activity that encourages its viewers to think of ways to decipher an unknown code by looking at patterns, punctuation, and more. Soon after, the kids are given another code to break if they would like to. They will be given an award if they correctly decipher it.
Lastly, the kids are told to type in their reflections for today. The day seemed very productive. This ends the first day of the Forensic Science Workshop.