During finals week in Skyline, students are taking tests, presenting slideshows, and writing essays. However, some students are doing something a bit more interesting for their final: solving crime.
Students in the Forensic class “have been presented with a scenario where a woman named Myra Banks was found dead in her bed,” says forensics teacher Gabriel Rettaliata. “On the first day of the final, they were able to see the crime scene which I had set up in my room.”
Forensics students have spent the last five days researching, analyzing evidence, and solving clues in preparation for their final presentation. Students draw on skills and knowledge that they have been developing over the course of the trimester.
“They have been able to analyze more evidence to help them figure out what were the events that happened that night,” says Rettaliata. “They need to do fingerprint analysis, handwriting analysis, look through an autopsy and a toxicology report. They also hear interviews from people of interest and have to be able to pick up clues.”
Many of the students in the class are already passionate about the topics of forensics and criminal investigation, but the class is accessible to anyone. It’s an opportunity for a fun and interactive science elective, offering multiple hands-on labs.
“Students definitely enjoy this project,” says Rettaliata. “Anyone with an interest in forensics or crime solving should consider the class, [as well as] anyone that just likes the idea, [or] likes those types of TV shows. We talk about some of the types of evidence that are in those shows that aren’t really supported by science as being accurate.”
