Eagle Crime Scene Investigation
Teacher: Christine Melby-Levinson
School: Eisenhower High School
Amount: $1,869.10
Category: Materials
It’s a regular Tuesday morning at EHS, my students and I are headed to class when we see LPSD Officer Wilkerson running down the hallway. “Move out of the way! Out of the way!” As we are settling into class, my phone rings and it is Officer Wilkerson requesting my ECSI (Eagle Crime Scene Investigators) team to come to the scene as soon as possible. “It’s bad, please hurry!” Officer Wilkerson sounded very upset.
I gathered my ECSI teams and we gathered our CSI kits and headed to the scene. I give them a short talk, reminding them to follow the procedures we had learned so far in class. They are prepared! We have been studying how to handle a crime scene all semester and now they are putting those skills into action
We were hoping to get there before Mr. Overby and the Eagle Network reporters arrived. there! They hurry to the scene and get a handle on the situation.
We get to the crime scene and it is really bad! The ECSI’s are well trained and so they get to work. Within 10 minutes the Eagle News Station reporters arrive. We set up a news conference for later in the day, once the ECSI gets a handle on what we have going on. They are appreciative, but they leave a reporter and a cameraman, just in case they might get something before the new conference. It’s a waiting game!
You can feel the buzz around the school. Students try desperately to get a glimpse of the crime scene, but the police officers have it under control. The ECSI gets to work immediately collecting evidence. Fingerprints, shoe prints, blood, and various other types of evidence are photographed and cataloged. This is going to be a long investigation that will last for about 2 months
This is only the beginning of the vision for our Forensic Science students, Broadcast students, Teen Court Students, and Debate students. As the Investigation goes forward, the ECSI will be testing the various pieces of evidence they’ve collected using the skills they have learned since the first day of class. The broadcast students will be reporting on the Eagle News as the case progresses. Once the ECSI thinks they have their perpetrator, the Teen Court and debate classes will have a (mock) trial to bring the suspect to justice.
I would like to thank the LPS Foundation for supporting me in my efforts to bring the Forensic Science Students the most authentic experience possible while learning all about the forensics of crime scene investigation. The Forensic Science Students have been learning all about the procedures of CSI Officers, but until now, they have had nowhere to practice the skills they are learning and they do not have the supplies they’ve needed to practice with.
With this grant, I have been able to purchase some of the equipment they will learn how to use in a real crime scene setting. I have no words to express how much this means to me and to the Forensic Science Students. The curriculum walks them through what to do and how to do it, but it does not allow for the direct hands-on experience of an actual crime scene with a crime to solve. The additional classes that will be involved with regards to their curriculum will only enhance their experiences.
This grant will be impacting more than just the Forensic Science Students, but many more students that are studying different disciplines that are an integral aspect of crime scene investigation.
Thank you so much. We appreciate your support of our program and students at Eisenhower High School. Please feel free to stop by to watch the ECSI teams work ro solve the crime!