Forensics 101
Ok Detective
Tools of the trade
Booklet Page 4 (1)
Booklet Page 4 (2)
100
What is forensic science?
The application of scientific methods and knowledge to legal problems and criminal investigations.
100
Is a tyre track considered tree evidence, pattern evidence or digital evidence?
Pattern evidence
100
What tool do detectives use to look at small evidence?
A magnifying glass
100
Name two physical pieces of evidence in this photo.
Shoe, Baseball bat, Brick, Medal/necklace, Footprint
100
What specific business was targeted in the crime scene diagram?
A bank.
200
What do we call a specialist who collects and analyses scientific evidence during an investigation?
A forensic scientist
200
Name three types of evidence a forensic scientist might look at during a case.
Fingerprints, DNA, DNA from blood, hair, fibres, tyre tracks, shoe prints, glass fragments.
200
What do forensic scientists use to collect liquid samples like blood or chemical spills safely?
A swab (or cotton swab)
200
What print evidence was found left on the tree trunk near the bicycle? Justify your choice.
DNA evidence (maybe blood?).
200
What vehicle is parked at the scene to transport injured individuals or collect evidence?
An ambulance
300
Name two specific job roles within the field of forensic science.
Two of: DNA analyst, forensic toxicologist, fingerprint examiner, forensic pathologist, crime scene investigator.
300
What type of testing could be done on the blood spots found at the scene?
DNA profiling or blood type analysis.
300
What tool is used to make a copy of a shoe print left in deep mud?
Plaster (they make a cast mould!)
300
What evidence on the bank building window indicates how the break-in occurred?
Broken glass (or the sign that says "Closed due to robbery")
300
Name three pieces of evidence that a forensic scientist would collect.
Any three of: blood samples, tyre tracks, shoe prints, lip print, fibre sample or broken glass.
400
Why is forensic science important in the justice system?
It provides objective, scientific evidence to help prove how events occurred (supports innocence or guilt).
400
Why do forensic investigators put up tape and barrier markers around a crime scene?
To protect the scene from contamination and preserve evidence for accurate collection.
400
What special tool issued to find invisible fingerprints on smooth surfaces like glass or tables?
Fingerprint powder and a brush
400
List the biological evidence from the picture.
Blood splatter, Lipstick on a tissue, Hair sample, Teeth marks.
400
What evidence might be collected from surfaces link door handles?
Fingerprints, touch DNA or microscopic fibres.
500
What is the difference between an observation and an inference at a crime scene?
An observation is facts gathered directly using your senses. An inference is an explanation or story built based on those observations.
500
What tool our technique would investigators use to match shoe print in the dirt to a suspect's shoe?
Making a plaster cast of the print or taking direct photographic scale evidence.
500
Why do forensic scientists take detailed notes and draw maps of the crime scene?
They need to remember exactly where every piece of evidence was found before it is moved.
500
Which evidence is not visible in the picture (but very valuable)?
The witness testimony of the injured cyclist!
500
Based on the fallen bicycle and tyre tracks, what do you think happened outside of the bank?
A crash or quick getaway involving the bicycle and a car (or motor vehicle).