Planet Science | Whodunit

Worked out who's guilty, but can't get enough of this crime-busting science?

Or missed our deadlines, but still want to try some of the Whodunit materials?

Look no further – here are a host of lesson ideas to keep you going.

Download the four detailed Extension Activities from the Teachers Handbook.

Check out the brand new Expanded Handbook Ideas on the media, DNA-databases, Crime Stories and more.

More Highly Interactive Ideas for the whole class to enjoy, including the Super Sleuth Training Challenge!

Visit the Web Links library for other great forensics sites to visit.

Expanded Handbook Ideas

Although our tongue-in-cheek ‘Whodunit’ has been focusing on the scientific and fun sides to detection, there is obviously a serious side to crime too.

Real crime has real consequences for its victims and society at large and the fact that society has created forensic science may be worth some deeper consideration by your pupils. We hope that some of the activities suggested, particularly as they relate to Citizenship, will help you to address this within the classroom

DNA Databases (KS3) Citizenship/ Science

Folk heroes or criminals? (KS2-3) History/ Citizenship

Exploring the media (KS2-3) Citizenship/ English

Write a mystery detective story (KS2-3) English/ Art & Design

More Highly Interactive Ideas

The Super Sleuth Training Challenge - a twenty-question 'forensic training' quiz, with an awesome prize - Busted's signed guitar!

The Sci Files - two exciting interactive adventures from the ASE Science Year CD-ROMS

D-I-Y Detective - hands-on activities from the Sleuth School area of this site

Whodunit- The Intel Think Tool - a fab on-line tool for learning...

You can also find further lesson plans, ideas and resources hosted by other organisations through our links pages.

Be sure to check out what's going on in your school library too - there are heaps of supporting activities on offer thanks to some new Whodunit resources being developed by CILIP- the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. A great opportunity to get your library colleagues involved!

SUPERSLEUTH TRAINING CHALLENGE

Check out our awesome forensic science quiz - with a twist! The SuperSleuth Training Challenge puts students in the role of trainee forensic investigators at the scene of a crime. Their mission is to get through five rounds of questions without a stumble...

Only one entry is allowed per student, and these are submitted to Planet Science online. Eligible and all-correct entries will then go into a prize draw for a truly unique - and valuable - prize (Busted's signed guitar and full equipment pack for starters... don't all scream at once!)

For classroom use, Certificates of Merit can be downloaded and printed off on completion of the quiz, and students' names filled in as evidence of having completed the challenge.

The Challenge can be found in the Sleuth School section of this website

SCI-FILES The truth is out there……

There are hours of entertainment and education to be had from the following two craftily-created forensic resources...

Both are taken from the ASE (Association of Science Education) / Science Year CD ROMs, and each combines an interactive computer investigation with laboratory experiments. They feature video and animations and are as involving as a game - but with built-in learning outcomes.

They're designed for use by ages 12-13+ but both include some fairly gruesome images so please use your judgement to ensure that they’re appropriate for your class....

Both activities can be completed online (apart from the lab exercises) or are available on CD ROM from the ASE. Either way, before you begin, be sure to download and print off the teachers PDF information, which will give you all the essential info you need to successfully use the programmes.

In ‘Flesh Eaters’, pupils are presented with the mystery of two deceased maintenance engineers whose bodies are found covered in hideous, unexplained injuries. As investigators, pupils play an agent whose mission is to unravel the truth before it’s too late... What won’t be as obvious to them, is that as they work through the activity, they'll also be learning about enzymes and the effect of temperature and pH level on enzyme activity.

The ‘Human Torch’ activity is just as spooky. The story begins when a pile of ash is found, along with a couple of intact human limbs. Pupils play a Special Project Investigator assigned to collect evidence, test clues and question experts and witnesses. The mystery must be solved before someone else suffers a similar fate...

This time, the pupils will be learning about fuel, the role of oxygen in burning and the products of combustion. There’s also great emphasis on the identification of hazards and risks, with kids doing their own risk assessments online and following their own prevention methods in the lab.

DO IT YOURSELF DETECTIVE

Four great hands-on forensic experiments for the home or class. Written for kids using the Sleuth School section of this website, but easily adaptable for classroom use.

WHODUNIT- INTEL THINK TOOL

'Seeing Reason' is a resource for learning about cause and effect within complex systems, and systems don't get much more complex than some criminal investigations.

At the heart of 'Seeing Reason' is an interactive mapping tool that helps students map cause and effect relationships and construct models of their understanding.

Their Forensics Investigation "Get a Clue" takes about 2 to 4 weeks and gets students to analyse shoeprints, hair strands, clothing fibres and lipstick with scientific laboratory methods to solve a crime.