Do you know how to properly move around a crime scene?

Ms. Jessica Baker’s forensics classes created and filmed their own crime scenes. The subject was up to their own discretion, as long as it was school appropriate and safe. Student projects ranged from realistic to absurd crime scenes. They learned how to investigate a crime scene and how to collect physical, chemical, or biological evidence.

“The Training Video project provides students a way to be creative and to learn how to process evidence at a crime scene. I can’t think of a better way to learn those skills than by setting a crime scene up and showing others how to do it. It’s part of the flipped classroom idea where students take responsibility for their own learning instead of sitting and listening to the teacher lecture every day. So far, I think students enjoy the project and it gets them out of their comfort zone in the first few weeks of the class,” said Baker.

One group worked to create a drug deal “gone wrong” that ends up in a hit and run. Their video included how to secure, collect, and document biological evidence. The biological evidence the group used to catch the “killer” was: blood, hair, and sweat.

“I really enjoyed making our video. I have never been literally ‘hit’ by a car, which is something I never thought I’d say, but definitely resulted in a funny video for the class to enjoy,” said senior Emma Pratchios.

After each group created their crime scene videos, both Bakers 1st and 4th period classes watched every video.

“I really liked watching all the videos. I enjoyed seeing all the creative scenarios other people came up with. My favorite video was definitely, Where is Gertrude? It was different since it was a kidnapping and had some realism to it as well,” said senior Ronan Perrone.

Once the classes watched all the videos a vote was held to award individual videos in different categories.

“I have changed the project over the years to make it more exciting and fun for the students. I added the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards to make it a little more competitive and to reward students who put in the effort,” said Baker.

The categories included Most Original Screenplay, Best Soundtrack, Most Realistic Video, Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Biological Evidence, Best Chemical Evidence, and Best Physical Evidence.

Winners

Most Original Screenplay- Be Fly Don’t Get High

Best Soundtrack- Glue Gun Murderer

Most Realistic Video- Where is Gertrude?

Best Actor/Actress- (TIE) Logan Rich and Tatum Pugh

Best Supporting Actor/Actress- (TIE) Marty Ratchford and Ronan Perrone

Best Biological Evidence- Be Fly Don’t Get High

Best Chemical Evidence- The Final Magic Trick

Best Physical Evidence- Where is Gertrude?