Description: You’ve been engaged by “CSI” and have been fascinated by “NCIS,” but how accurately do these shows portray the realities of forensic science? The field of forensic science comprises several areas of study (anatomy, chemistry, biology, physics, etc.). This hands-on course integrates these sciences in the pursuit of justice. Students will focus on the criminal investigation process that will include crime scene investigation, evidence gathering procedures and subsequent laboratory analysis of evidence. 

This is a lab course and the students will be doing laboratory work almost every class. 

Tutor: Susan Kilbride graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in biology, Phi Beta Kappa, Cum Laude. Her first love was science and nature, but as time went on she also discovered a passion for genealogy and history. She's been a home educator for sixteen years and has taught both science and writing classes to homeschoolers in Hawaii. She’s the author of Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers and a series of historical chapter books on American history, the Our America series. She and her students in Hawaii wrote a book on Hawaiian culture, The Hawai’iana Project, that has been put in the Honolulu Public Library’s legacy library, where it is guaranteed to stay on the shelves for 100 years. Susan is also the author of a number of articles in various genealogical publications.  Susan’s goal is to make learning fun for her students so that they have a lifelong appreciation of whatever subject she teaches

Level: Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: none
Homework: 1 to 2 hours per week
Text: none 
Supplies: $25 lab fee; Students should come supplied with  a loose-leaf binder or folder for holding handouts, a set of colored pencils, and a spiral notebook to be used only as a lab notebook (not for taking notes).