What am I doing?
The purpose of this activity is for you and a partner to research an actual court case that involved botanical evidence to help solve the crime. After completing the research, you and your partner will prepare an oral presentation.
Your team will register for one of the following topics.
Choose a specific court case that used either pollen, spore or some other type of botanical evidence to solve a crime.
Your team will register for one of the following topics.
Choose a specific court case that used either pollen, spore or some other type of botanical evidence to solve a crime.
Pollen or Spore Evidence
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Other Forms of Botanical Evidence
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What information do you need to investigate?
- Explain the case to the class: The five W's and the H (who, what, when, where, why and how)
- Describe how the case was solved using botanical evidence.
- Describe the proper method to collect and preserve botanical evidence.
- Describe anything in your case that is not common knowledge. For example, explain what the Shroud of Turin is or describe sheep shearing, how honey is produced, or how cocaine is imported into the United States.
- To begin your research, start with the Internet. Perform an Internet search for “pollen” and the name of your topic (e.g., honey, mud) and “forensics” and find numerous references. Include books and current articles from reputable periodicals from the last four years.
- ALL sources (including pictures) must be cited using APA style.
- For easy reference citing, use bibme.org
What is the product?
Each team delivers an oral presentation of its research findings. Your presentation will include the following:
- PowerPoint presentation or a poster
- Three-dimensional object that pertains to your topic (e.g., rope, muddy boot, air filter)
How will I be graded?
Click below for the rubric
Helpful Hints:
- Have someone peer review your presentation. Let them make comments on what is good, and what can be improved.
- Be prepared: Practice, rehearse, and time your presentation in advance.
- Block out what each person will do for the presentation and when they will do their part of the presentation.
- Special equipment: If you are showing a PowerPoint presentation, be sure that you are familiar with the equipment before your presentation.
- Do not read from your PowerPoint slides or your report! You can refer to the PowerPoint or notecards, but do not read it word for word.
- Make eye contact with your audience. Do not turn your back on the audience.
- Scan the group and speak to the entire group.
- Speak slowly and with enough volume that the people in the back row can easily hear you! Try to relax and smile!
- You are the person that is teaching. If you think your presentation is boring, everyone else will as well. Spice it up!
The Extra Mile
- If you provide a handout that pertains to your topic, you will be given extra credit. The handout should contain both information and graphics. It should not merely be a script of your presentation or copies of your PowerPoint slides.
- If you have a short quiz that can be graded at the end of your presentation, you will receive extra credit as well. This should not be a simple 5 question multiple choice quiz, it should involve some questions that involve higher order thinking.
- Example of a bad quiz question: Who killed Jane Doe: A. Bob, B. Sharlando, C. Hominim, D. Stan
- Example of a better quiz question: It is suspected that Jane doe was murdered in another location. What kind of forensic botanical evidence would you collect and how?
Botany Presentation Makeup Assignment
If you did not present your findings in front of the class, you will need to do the following assignment. Because this is a makeup assignment, it will be counted late and you will only receive a maximum of 75% of the original value of the assignment. If it is turned in late, an extra 10% penalty will be applied.
Format:
Assignment:
Write a 4 page double spaced paper that has the following information:
Format:
- 4 page paper
- 4 pages will be information
- 5th page will be references, organized alphabetically, APA style
- Double Spaced
- Fonts that may be used: Garamond, Calibri, Times New Roman, size 12 font.
- Paper may be turned in either on paper or electronically via google docs (jefcoed.com e-mail address)
- All work should be corrected for grammar
Assignment:
Write a 4 page double spaced paper that has the following information:
- What is pollen and why it is important
- How pollen and plants are used in forensics
- How to correctly collect pollen as evidence
- An example of a case in which pollen was very important and how it was used to close the case
- How plant life can be used in forensics
- How to collect plant life as evidence - be specific- leaves may be collected differently than stems
- An example of a case in which plant life was very important and how it was used to close the case