The lesson plan
is explicit and concise; it depicts how the lesson
should unfold.
The lesson is meant to introduce DNA fingerprinting
in a fun way that is not too heavy for students.
It will allow all students access to this relatively
new identification tool.
The information pictures and crime scene, including
statements and DNA profiles should be laminated
and distributed to the pupil groups.
The whole aim of this lesson is to produce profiles
of evidence on the prime suspects. Students may
use the provided concept maps provided, or the teacher
can simply give out a pad of post-its to allow the
pupils to amass evidence (similar to an incident
room at the police station, where they have glass
panels and pictures with felt marker pens). The
pictures, etc., set the scene and give the feel
of real evidence. However, the key document is the
‘police report’ as this states which evidence was
taken from the crime scene. The intruder profiles
also need consideration as this gives their timings,
which are crucial in solving the crime. There are
also ‘police statements’ which on reflection might
be better called ‘Witness Statements’.
A DNA marker is any unique DNA sequence which can
be used in DNA hybridisation, PCR (polymerase chain
reaction) or restriction mapping experiments to
identify that sequence. The ‘genetic fingerprinting’
document is for information and can be used by the
teacher as a follow-up, giving pupils some notes
– perhaps some questions or a DART exercise (it
is up to the teacher)
In the plenary
students are given the name of a suspect in an envelope
and they
give the evidence for/against conviction. It is
an open lesson – students must decide for themselves
what constitutes factual evidence and what is only
circumstantial with no firm backing.
When the debate is over the actual crime scene post-mortem
is shared – the victim was preparing meat with a
sharp knife (blood on knife not human!), she hit
a wasp with a folded newspaper, the window smashed
and she cut herself on the glass. As she had climbed
on to the work top to reach the wasp at the top
of the window, after she swatted it and cut herself
she lost her balance and fell backwards onto the
floor, breaking her neck. No one is guilty – accidental
death was recorded by the coroner. |
