Dawn Engle fingerprints some of the usual suspects at Longfellow Elementary
Boise State University
Forensic Science Outreach
Longfellow Elementary School
Friday, May 27th, 2005, 1-3 PM
Principal: Debbie Donovan
debbie.donovan@boiseschools.org
http://www.boiseschools.org/schools/longfellow
150 children
Number of classrooms used for activities: 6
Boise State volunteers: Dr. Greg Hampikian, Nikki DeWane, Daniel Hampikian, Dawn
Engle, Jason Besecker, Patrick Aranda, Becky Munoz.
Grades in each group: 2-3 combo class, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade and 2-6th
grade classes
Time: Six classes over 2 hours: 15 minutes each, with 5 minutes to switch.
Room 1: Introduction to latent prints (handout with basic fingerprint
ridge patterns).
Activities: Fingerprint each child with Tens card; children take home their own
print cards.
Room 2: Print lifting
Activities: Each child performs fingerprint lifting from a soda can;
and balloon blow-ups of fingerprints
Room 3: DNA evidence
Activities: DNA gel with suspects and evidence lanes for each student to
compare. Crime question and answer with Dr. Hampikian
Room 4: Teethmarks and lip prints (tooth names handout)
Each student makes their own prints (on Styrofoam cups); and writes down the
names of missing teeth on the handout. Label the bottom of the cup with
the last 4 numbers of your home phone number.
Selected students will produce the Evidence cups, everyone has to match.
Room 5 (outdoors): Foot prints
Make your own footprint, step in dirt then onto white paper. Outline
your foot with pencil, put only your secret code number on the back. We shuffle
them and then you have to guess whose you have.
Room 6: Bones. Telling the difference between male and female pelvis. Bone box
mix-n-match. Each student is given a human bone to match to the skeleton.
Write down the name of your bones. Bone charades: student points to general
body area which represents their bone.
Dawn Engle fingerprints some of the usual suspects at Longfellow Elementary
Daniel Hampikian shows a group of students how to produce a footprint for latent
print comparison
Patrick Aranda helps some second and third graders produce lip and bite prints
with lipstick and Styrofoam
Nikki DeWane helps students produce fingerprint ID cards
Daniel Hampikian helps register a young forensic scientist
Jason Besecker shows how anatomy and physiology can be fun, while students match
their mystery bones to the skeleton
Greg Hampikian inspects the students' DNA gel
Becky Munoz helps students "blow-up" their prints on balloons
Jason Besecker and Nikki DeWane help match a latent print to its blow-up
Any Questions?