| Chemistry and biology students at Atlanta Schools | | | | Unit Four of the "Forensics in the Classroom" |
| North Atlanta High School put their lab skills into action | | | | Curriculum. Called "The Cafeteria Caper," the crime |
| for a Court TV film crew on April 11. As part of the | | | | they investigated involved a trashed high school |
| "Forensics in the Classroom," program, students | | | | cafeteria that might be linked to an underground club. |
| learned how to collect and analyze evidence of a | | | | The lab techniques required for the investigation |
| crime scene. They weren't flying blind. Instead, they had | | | | included an enzyme test and the analysis of hair, blood, |
| help from a range of criminal investigation experts, | | | | and DNA - all within their own school laboratory. |
| beginning with the head of their own science | | | | To begin the exercise, students were given handouts |
| department, Dr. Cadence Spearman. In addition to Dr. | | | | that explained the background information of the crime |
| Spearman, students interacted with Court TV host | | | | that they would be investigating. They are also given |
| Rachelle Savoia, Police Lt. H. Cotton - Tukes, forensic | | | | several handouts explaining the nature of forensic |
| investigators from the Fulton County Police | | | | investigation and how forensic techniques are used to |
| Department, and a criminal science instructor from | | | | solve crimes. |
| Bauder College. | | | | Students examine a range of evidence. Some of it |
| The staged crime took place in the school's cafeteria | | | | comes from the crime scene itself, but students also |
| and involved acts of vandalism and a cut gas line. | | | | have access to a mock website that details the |
| Students worked through the crime scene, learning the | | | | practices of the underground club they are |
| proper procedures for collecting evidence. The | | | | investigating. The website provides them with additional |
| evidence that they collected, including hair fibers, | | | | information for the physical evidence that they |
| stomach contents, and blood makeup, was then | | | | collected, helping them to match the evidence with |
| analyzed in the school lab. | | | | suspects from the website. |
| The exercise demonstrated a new standards - based | | | | The "Forensics in the Classroom" Curriculum provided |
| forensics curriculum developed by Court TV, the | | | | detailed lab guides for conducting the necessary |
| American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the | | | | experiments. After they had reached their conclusions, |
| National Science Teachers Association. The program | | | | they were instructed how to fill out Crime Lab Reports |
| combines standard high school lab techniques with a | | | | documenting their evidence. |
| mystery solving element. | | | | The "Cafeteria Caper" addressed five of the national |
| Students at North Atlanta High School participated in | | | | forensics curriculum standards. |