Module One Guided Notes

01.01 Guided Notes: Introduction to Forensics

Page 1: Anchoring Case: Finding a Killer
Essential Question: How did evidence collection and examination help solve the BTK murder cases?
List the Evidence in the BTK Killer Case
1. 3. 5.
2. 4. 6.

Page 2: Evolution of Forensics

Focus Question: How has forensic science changed over time?
List the main events in each year:

1302 1590 1800s 1900s 2000s

Page 3: Makeup of Forensics

Focus Question: What are the different science fields of forensics?
Define each forensic subfield:

Anthropology Odontology Psychology

Medical Examiners Ballistics Toxicology

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.02 Guided Notes: Forensic Investigation: Components of a Crime Scene
Page 1: The Winger Case
Essential Question: What methods and processes are followed during a crime scene investigation?
List the steps to processing a crime scene:
1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.
7.

Page 2: Method for Crime Scene Investigation

Focus Question: What methods are used to investigate a crime scene?
Explain how the following can affect an investigation:
1. Pseudoscience
2. Repetition
3. Replication

Video: Scientific Method – What are some of the steps of the scientific method that are useful in an investigation?

Page 3: Claim-Evidence Reasoning

Focus Question: What is claim-evidence reasoning?
In a forensic investigation, _____________ is gathered ____________ a claim is made about a crime.

Complete the interactive. What clues helped determine which house was Mr. Dudley's?

Give an example of a claim evidence statement:

Page 4: Types of Evidence

Focus Question: What types of evidence are there in a crime?
________________ evidence is left due to _____________ principle.
Video: What Is Evidence? – What are some of the types of evidence from the video?

Fill out the following chart:

Type of Evidence Examples

Demonstrative
Physical
Testimonial

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 Documentary

Complete the Evidence interactive: Read through the scenario on page 4. Copy down your evidence from the correct
category based on the interactive.

Demonstrative Real Testimonial Documentary

Page 5: Processing a Crime Scene

Focus Question: What are the steps to take when processing a crime scene?
The first ______________ arrives on the scene first.
What are the steps they must accomplish?
1. 3.
2. 4.

Processing a Crime Scene Interactive – click on each marker

Describe the main steps for each marker:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

______________________refers to the closeness of a value to the accepted value.

______________________ refers to the closeness of measurements to each other.
Video: Career Profile – Evidence Response Team- Why is it important to perform the collection of evidence properly?

Page 6: Collecting Evidence

Focus Question: How is evidence handled at the crime scene compared to a forensic laboratory?
Video: Crime Scene Investigation- What are the following people responsible for?
Public defender:
Police:
Crime scene investigators:
Field work vs. Lab work Infographic

Field work Lab work

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Page 7: Review the Case
Complete the Examining a Crime Scene interactive
Place the steps in proper order.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.03 Guided Notes: Physical Evidence
Page 1: Properties of Evidence
Essential Question: What are the properties and characteristics of physical evidence?
List physical evidence in case of Virginia man:

List physical evidence in case of Ohio woman:

Page 2: States of Evidence

Focus Question: What are the different states of physical evidence?
List characteristics for each state

Solid Liquid Gas

Page 3: Physical and Chemical Properties

Focus Question: What are the physical and chemical properties of evidence?
List characteristics for each property:

Physical Chemical

Complete Properties of Evidence interactive

List characteristics for each property of evidence:

Physical Chemical

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Page 4: Properties and Characteristics
Focus Question: What additional properties and characteristics are unique to evidence?
List the properties and an example:

Property Explanation Example

Extrinsic

Intrinsic

List the characteristics and an example:

Characteristic Explanation Example

Class

Individual

Page 5: Review the Case

Complete the Anchoring Case Analysis interactive
What was each piece of evidence, and how is it characterized?
1.
2.
3.

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.04 Guided Notes: Documentary Evidence
Page 1: Examples of Documentary Evidence
Essential Question: What are the various types of documentary evidence, and how do forensic scientists examine
them?
Frank Abagnale, Jr. Case
List the evidence found:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Page 2: Behind Handwriting
Focus Question: What information can you get from someone's handwriting?
Interactive: Handwriting Characteristics – make notes on each hotspot
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

___________ tracing is when a computer looks for common sequences of phonemes, syllables, letters, and words
from an author.

Page 3: Forgery
Focus Question: What are the different types of forgery?
___________ involves a fake signature.
____________ documents look like an original but are fakes.

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Back to the Abagnale Case- which were forgeries and counterfeits
1. Numbers on cashier's check –
2. Pilot license –
3. Transcript –
4. Job credentials –

______________ forgery includes _____________ that resemble the original author's work.

Video: Art Forgeries- Explain how forgeries are examined using the chart below.

Method What it can determine

Crack Evaluation

X-rays

Carbon-12 and Carbon-14

Page 4: It's in the Paper

Focus Question: What information can you get from paper and ink?
Six parts of analyzing paper:

Type of Analysis Example

Explain how the following methods work to determine inks used:

Process Explanation

Thin-layer Chromatography

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 High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Watch the Video: FBI Careers: Forensic Examiner Cryptanalyst- Describe the role of this forensic scientist.

Page 5: Reliability of Documentary Evidence

Focus Question: How reliable is documentary evidence?
Handwriting analysis is ___________ reliable with a smaller sample.
List the guidelines of the Daubert standards:
1.
2.

Why is graphology considered unreliable evidence?

Page 6: Review the Case

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.05 Guided Notes: Demonstrative and Digital Evidence
Page 1: A Digital World
Essential Question: How can demonstrative models and digital information be used as evidence?
List the evidence from the Rito Llamas-Juarez Case:
1.
2.
Page 2: Demonstrative Evidence
Focus Question: How are models used as demonstrative evidence?
List and give a short summary of each of the nine examples of demonstrative evidence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
____________ are reconstructions of the crime scene.

List the evidence that can be both documentary and demonstrative evidence:
1.
2.
3.
4.

These pieces of evidence can be both if they are used in a ____________ or _____________.

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Page 3: Digital Evidence
Focus Question: How can forensic scientists use digital evidence to solve a crime?
Interactive: Parts of a Computer
List the parts and their functions:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

_________________ retrieve information from the web and display it on a computer or smartphone.
_________________ and browser history are stored for easy access.

The unique and traceable code that leads to a device's location is called an ______________.
List the information that can be obtained from each device:

Device Computers Internet Browser Portable Device

Information
Collected

Page 4: Putting Digital to Work

Focus Question: How is evidence retrieved from digital devices?
What can different software programs retrieve from digital sources? List some possibilities.

Explain how each tool is used to help forensic scientists:

Browser History Examiner

Disk Drill

Cellebrite

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Video: Facial Recognition- Explain how the FBI uses facial recognition software.

Page 5: Limitations of Digital Evidence

Focus Question: How reliable is demonstrative and digital evidence?
List the three requirements of demonstrative evidence:
1.
2.
3.
Video: The Problem with Pixels- Explain how pixels can make a video useful or not useful.

Interactive: Collecting Digital Evidence

List the steps in the correct order:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page 6: Review the Case

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.06 Guided Notes: Testimonial Evidence
Page 1: The Eyewitness
Essential Question: What is the reliability of different types of testimonial evidence?
List the evidence in the Uriah Courtney Case:
1.
2.
List the main points to each of the types of witnesses:

Expert Witness Lay Witness

 

 

 

Page 2: Perception vs. Interpretation

Focus Question: How can interpretation differ from perception?
_______________ deals with information collected by one of the five senses.
_______________ are what we infer happened.
Interactive: Perception vs. Interpretation
List the statements in the correct category:

Perception Interpretation

 

 

 

 

List the steps of interviewing an eyewitness and include examples where applicable:
1.
2.

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 3.
4.
5.
6.

Page 3: Reliability of Confessions

Focus Question: What factors influence the reliability of a confession?
Explain each of the common reasons for false confessions:

Reason Explanation

Deceptive Interrogation Tactics

Exhaustion

Young or Vulnerable People

Fear

_________________ is given by a law enforcement officer when placing a suspect into custody or when interrogating a
suspect.
List the statements to the Miranda Warning


Page 4: Eyewitness Reliability
Focus Question: How reliable are eyewitness testimonies?
Explain each of the psychological factors that can influence a testimony:

Anxiety or Stress Reconstructive Memory

Weapon Focus Leading Questions

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The ______________ looks at DNA to ensure offenders were properly sent to prison.

Explain why Uriah was released from prison in 2013.

Page 5: Expert Testimony

Focus Question: How reliable are expert witnesses?
List the examples of expert witnesses and what they might speak about:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Page 5: Review the Lesson

Self-Check
List the two explanations that are true:
1.
2.
List the explanation that is false:
1.

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you. You will see them used in the lesson.

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01.07 Guided Notes: Forensics in the Courtroom
Page 1: Developing Theories
Essential Question: What type of forensic evidence is allowed in court?
List the steps to the two types of investigations:

Steps to a scientific investigation Steps to a forensic investigation

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

Page 2: Chance Evidence

Focus Question: What is the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence?
Explain what the two types of evidence are:
Direct:
Circumstantial:

Video: What Governs Use of Evidence- Watch the video and answer the Check Your Understanding Questions below.
1. What is the purpose of evidence laws?

2. Can evidence be submitted into court without additional support to prove its relevance?

3. What types of evidence are not allowed in court?

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Page 3: Admissible vs. Inadmissible Evidence
Focus Question: What types of evidence are admissible in court?
List the guidelines for each.

Admissible Inadmissible

Explain the following standards:

Frye:
Daubert:

Page 4: Constitutional Rights

Focus Question: What happens if a suspect's rights are violated during an investigation?
If ___________________ are violated, a case can be dismissed.
In the text marking, list the following.

Constitutional Rights 1.
(Blue) 2.
3.

Admissible Evidence 1.
(Green) 2.

Inadmissible Evidence 1.
(Pink) 2.

Page 5: Career Profile

Describe the tasks and importance of Detective Le’s role with the Major Crimes Unit.

Page 6: Review the Case

Key Terms: Jot down terms and definitions that are new to you and have not been included in your notes already.

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