Dear Parents/Guardians of Forensics Students: August, 2013
I would like to welcome your child to the Forensics elective at CHRHS! I am extremely excited that your son/daughter has expressed an interest in Forensic Science. It is a very intriguing course that covers aspects of biology, chemistry and physics as they pertain to criminal investigations. Your child will gain some valuable insight into the scientific process and how it can be used in the real world. However, due to the nature of the course, I would like to inform you of a few things that your child will encounter as he/she participates in Forensic Science.
Modern forensics involves photography of crime scenes and suspects. Fingerprints have long been a part of forensics, and have become easier to collect from crime scenes due to new technologies. Forensic Scientists also examine hair evidence to assist in identifying and/or eliminating suspects in a crime. As such, part of this course will involve the photographing, fingerprinting, and hair analysis of each of the students in class. Please understand that this information will remain private throughout; in no way will the information collected about the students become part of the public record. The activities are mandatory, but the information will not be shared with the school; it will not leave the classroom.
Although this class is not meant to place an emphasis on violent crime, some units will involve the different aspects of violent crime, such as examining blood spatter to determine the angle and force of impact. When working with blood, the majority of the activities will use blood substitutes. In one activity, however, a chemical called BlueStar (a luminal equivalent) will be used to process latent blood stains. For this activity the students will be using processed (sterilized & defibrinated) non-human blood, while using standard protection methods. Once again, these activities are mandatory.
Also, since this course deals with crimes, it also deals with death. I hope to secure local law enforcement officials as guest speakers, and during their presentations, they may discuss violent crimes, show photos of crime scenes and/or edited autopsy photos.
Please read this document carefully and sign below, showing that you understand the sometimes graphic nature of this course. Please also include your email, so that I may more easily contact you. Should you have any questions or concerns, either now or any time during the course, please feel free to reach me at . You can also follow what your student is learning about through the class wiki by visiting this website: http://mismashforensics.wikispaces.com. I look forward to working with your child this coming semester!
Sincerely,
Sarah Mismash
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