WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2008-2009       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Forensics: The Real Science Behind CSI
CHEM 198
Spring 2009
Section: 01  

Think crimes are REALLY solved in an hour with time for commerical breaks? Did you ever wonder what REALLY happens at a crime scene? This course will give participants the opportunity to become criminologists by introducing concepts as important and diverse as proper documentation of a scene to evidence chain of custody to analytical, physical and chemical testing in a hands-on environment. Ethical and legal issues as well as admissibility of evidence will be discussed. Lectures will prepare students for group discussion and lab work in fingerprinting, fiber analysis and other physical testing used in today's state-of-the-art forensic labs. The course will encourage collaborative learning as students work on teams to solve crimes and reporting findings. Student performance will be evaluated through short weekly lab assignments, discussion participation and a final team project involving the analysis of a crime scene.

Essential Capabilities: Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning
The Logical Reasoning Capability will be met by the fact that students will be exposed to evidence from court cases and forensics laboratory as well as ¿testimony¿ of expert witnesses. From this information, the students will need to draw conclusions and make leaps of logic based on this information to help solve "crimes."

The Quantitative Reasoning Capability will be met by way of the laboratory activities. Students will take fingerprints and quantitative measurements of evidence as well as gather physical evidence and process "crime scenes" and other opportunities where forensic science will be employed.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM CHEM
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459