| Carolina Tips | J A N U A R Y 1 9 9 6 |
Andrea Foster
Katherine Stinson Middle School
San Antonio, Texas 78265
| "Why do I have to learn
this microscope stuff? I'm going to be a lawyer when I grow up! What does
science have to do with that?" asked one of my seventh-grade students,
several months before DNA and hair samples in the O. J. Simpson case turned
forensic science into front-page news. I had just begun teaching at a new
middle school of predominantly high-achieving students, so I was surprised
to discover that many students, even those who did well in science, also
felt that science did not relate to their lives or their future plans. Several
were content to learn only the information needed for the tests and then
promptly forget it. That's when I decided to stage a murder! If my students could not see the connections between science and their worlds, I would bring some real-life scientific drama into the classroom. Since we were due to begin a microscope unit, I decided to throw out the traditional activities of viewing onion cells, letters from the newspaper, and plant cells, and instead design a lesson around a staged murder, complete with evidence bags that included hair samples, onion pieces, fibers, blood stains, and pieces of an incriminating note. The victim would be a mysterious scientist, and the crime scene would be our own science lab. |
I chose these particular pieces of evidence because each demonstrates a
specific observation in science. The onion provides a wonderful view of
plant cells and cell structure. The cell structures in the onion can be
compared to slides of human blood, so that students can begin to see the
difference between plant and animal cells. Hair samples are interesting
for students to observe, and they help make the concept of magnification
more concrete for students. When viewing the incriminating note, students
ask why the letters are upside down, which leads to a relevant discussion
about microscope lenses and the notion of concave and convex lenses. The scenario I had in mind was simply that our lab rat, Einstein, had mischievously nibbled on the scientist's experimental prize onion. Upon discovering that her onion had been tampered with, the scientist angrily squirted ketchup on the rat. She made such a mess that she decided to stage a crime scene to find out if the students in the class could use good scientific skills to solve a fabricated crime. The scientist wanted to take this opportunity to find out if the students were good science sleuths. |
Go to next page | Back to Tips
Home | What's New | Catalogs | Publications |
Products | Customer Service