Investigation Box

Ashley Hale

Science Methods

April 30, 2014

Investigation Box

Materials:

-Plastic container with lid

– storage box/used for activity 2

-Krazyglue

-Plastic wrap

-Aluminum foil cups

-Lamp with a shade

– will be in classroom but not included in box

-CDs

            - Not included in box

-Sharpie

-Bic pen

-Gel pen

-Paper towel strips

-Pencil

-Ruler

-Clear tape

-Plastic cups

-Plastic Plates

-Plain white paper

-Magnifying glass

Activity 1:

            Students will use a recording sheet and an inkpad and read the directions on the sheet.  They will take their fingerprint of each finger of each hand and then use a magnifying glass to investigate and determine what type of fingerprints they have (whorl, arch, or loop). Here is an example of what they would be doing on smaller paper:

Activity 2:

            Students will develop a latent fingerprint on a cd.  The students will first run their hands through their hair and make a few fingerprints on a cd.  They will then place the cd in the center of a plastic container.  Place 7 drops of superglue on an aluminum tart shell and place that in one corner.  In the opposite corner they will put warm water in an aluminum tart shell and then cover the whole container with plastic wrap.  They will place the whole container over a lamp with a shade for 15mins and observe what happens.  The next day the fingerprints will be dry and they can observe them more closely.

Activity 3:

-Who stole Scooby’s Scooby Snacks?  There was a note left in the box of snack written in pen, but whose pen is it?  Fred as a black Sharpie, Velma has a black Bic pen, and Daphne has a black gel pen.  You have gathered each pen so you can do a test to see which one of Scooby’s friends stole his Scooby Snacks.

            Students will use three different pens and have 3 different strips that are pre-cut from a paper towel.  They will also have a pre-cut strip of a writing sample to figure out who wrote the note.  They will measure about 2 centimeters from the bottom of the strips and mark it with a pencil.  They will then take one of the pens, put a dot on one of the strips, and tape the opposite end around the pencil.  The students will repeat this for the other 2 types of pens.  They will put the strips over a cup that has enough water in it to reach just past the dot.  The students will also hang the sample of writing in a cup as well.  They will leave them in the water in the cups for 5mins and then observe the different colors and compare them to the one with the writing on it.

Books:

Detective Science by Jim Wiese  

How to be a Detective by Dan Waddell

The Master Detective Handbook by Janice Eaton Kilby

Cue Cards:

1.     Fingerprinting:

a.     Draw your left hand on the left side of the paper and your right hand on the right side of the paper.

b.     Take a piece of scrap paper and scribble a patch with a pencil big enough to roll your fingers in.

c.      For each of your fingers roll them in the patch of pencil and then use the clear tape to put over your finger and match it to the same finger on the paper.

d.     Use the magnifying glass to determine what type of finger print each of your fingers have and then write that under that finger.

.Latent Fingerprints   :

a.     Run your hands through your hair and then touch the cd in 3 places.

b.     Put the cd in the center of the box.

c.      Put 7 drops of krazyglue on one aluminum piece and put that in one corner.

d.     Make the other one into a little cup and put warm water in it and put it in the other corner.

e.     Cover the container in plastic wrap and put the lid on top of the plastic wrap.

f.      Put the whole container on top of the lamp for 15mins.

g.     Use your magnifying glass to observe what happened on the cd after the 15mins.

3.     Who stole Scooby’s Scooby Snacks?  There was a note left in the box of snack written in pen, but whose pen is it?  Fred as a black Sharpie, Velma has a black Bic pen, and Daphne has a black gel pen.  You have gathered each pen so you can do a test to see which one of Scooby’s friends stole his Scooby Snacks.

4.     Chromatography:

a.     Gather your three pens and the 3 strips along with the sample strip.

b.     Fill the cups to the line with water.

c.      Put a mark 2 centimeters from the bottom of the strip. Use one pen on each strip.

d.     Wrap the strips around a pencil and lay the pencil on top of the cups.  Make sure the paper is touching the water

e.     Leave the paper in the cup for 10mins.

f.      Pull all of the strips out and decide which one matches the sample piece and that is who stole Scooby’s Scooby Sancks.