Boys' School Learn Forensic Crime Solving

Our Year 8 boys have been busy taking fingerprints with ink pads, identifying their different key features and were even challenged with their own crime to solve!

Just how technology impacts society and the positive and negative effects of this has been a part of the Year 8 Social Science studies in the classrooms recently at the Boys’ School.

One of the first sessions the students looked at was how investigators detect and collect fingerprints.

As a kick off, visiting School Community Constable Peter posed the question to the class - what animal fur are fingerprinting brushes made out of?

Bear, possum, racoon, fox and rabbit were all suggested from the boys, but the answer the Constable was looking for was in fact squirrel fur!

The boys were then presented with a real crime from NZ's past, but with names and evidence adapted to the classroom, and asked to collect and analyse evidence including lifting finger prints from glass beakers using standard police technologies. They then used that print plus other evidence to solve the crime.

The next stage of the inquiry process was to look at what has changed with these investigatory techniques from the past to present and explore how it may develop in to the future.

Part of the study also included researching into DNA sampling and the development of that technology and the link between audio visual technologies and the concept of "Big Brother". 

After working through all the stages of the inquiry - gathering prior knowledge, questioning, planning, researching, interpreting, presenting and reflecting, the boys were then asked to research the impact technology has on a different aspect of human society.

Overall the boys thought the sessions were fun and learned a lot from their hands on experiences as ‘detectives’.

Other curriculum areas are also currently complementing the Social Sciences unit, particularly English, where students are enjoying reading crime novels and writing their own suspense stories.

With thanks to Year 8 Teacher, Mr James Eketone