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