Within their Forensics unit, Stefanie Virgen’s seventh-grade Gifted students at Washington Middle School used simulated blood to demonstrate and analyze blood spatter as part of a lab.
The sub-topic was "Bloodstain Analysis." The students focused on making observations of blood spatter, taking measurements, and defending their ideas to the teacher.
Students needed to be able to reasonably discuss what their droplets would reveal about a crime while referencing key terminology such as parent droplet, satellite droplet, spines, and more.
The pictures below are of some of the students during the lab either taking measurements as they simulated the blood spatter, analyzing the spatter, discussing their findings, or typing up lab notes of their analysis.
Safety Precautions Taken
Each student had an individual space marked out for them that was six feet or more away from other students.
Each student had their own set of supplies, including paper, pipette, simulated blood samples, and yard sticks.
Students used Germ-X before and after the experiments.
Students only examined passive bloodstains (no movement around the classroom).
Students engaged in their usual classroom sanitation routines.
