Today in forensics, the class learned about finger printing. Hanley, the teacher, explained what finger prints were and discussed their usefulness in forensics. Hanley then discussed how every finger has its own individual pattern but all patterns can be classified into a few categories. Some of the categories of finger prints were loops, whorl, tented arch, and arch. The class quickly picked up on it and they were soon able to classify each by sight.
After this, the class learned the process of collecting finger prints. The students first learned that every fingerprint leaves some oil and that a special type of powder is then used to make it visible. She taught proper way of collecting prints so that the class could achieve the best results possible. Once the class was familiar with the process, they were given a challenge of identifying fingerprints that were left on blocks. They then tried to match the collected finger prints with finger prints already provided by the teachers.
Afterwards, Kaitrin taught the class how to use Gimp, a graphics program, to isolate the fingerprints. Using Gimp's powerful functions and tools, they were able to isolate a fingerprint left on a piece of paper and make it more visible. The students learned about saturation techniques, color curving, and layer blending. After isolating the fingerprints, Kaitrin explained how to compare fingerprints. At this point, the workshop students could use the finger print that they isolated and compare it with other fingerprints. Using all they learned today, the students were able to progress further in the mock homicide mystery using finger print identification.