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