Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Classifications of Evidence Presentation [WLOs: 1, 2, 4] [CLOs: 2, 3, 4, 5]
There are several types or classifications of evidence. How evidence is collected or packaged may vary from one classification to another. Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please review:
From the text:
Chapter 3: Digital Forensics
Chapter 6: Trace and Materials Evidence
From the free PDF copy at the web page Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward (2009): Chapter 5: Descriptions of Some Forensic Science Disciplines
From the free, downloadable resource at the web page Crime Scene Investigation Guide: Section C: Processing the Scene
The videos Evidence and Forensics: Due Process and Forensic Science in Action: From Crime Scene to Courtroom
You may also want to review the recommended help guides for PowerPoint and Screencast-O-Matic. For more details, refer to the PowerPoint Presentation Best Practices resource and the Screencast-O-Matic Quick-Start Guide. You are also strongly encouraged to review the other recommended resources, as they will help you explore different types of evidence, as well as packaging and processing.
You are an intern at a forensic Crime Scene Response Unit (CSRU) and as part of your duties, the unit manager has asked you to develop a presentation on evidence for a Citizens’ Academy class. Develop a short presentation about the classification of evidence assigned. For this discussion forum evidence has been categorized into six types, although the evidence in each of these six categories could be further separated. You will be assigned topics by last name to complete this presentation. Your presentation will comprise slides containing visuals and bullet points, as well as narrating content. You can use PowerPoint to create your presentation using this UAGC web page Presentations or any other presentation software and record yourself narrating it with Screencast-O-Matic. You are not required to be on camera but may choose to do so if you please.
You are assigned the following topics based on the first letter of your last name:
A through C: Trace evidence: hair, fiber, glass, paint, soil
D through E: Fingerprints
F through L: Patterns: firearms, tool marks, tire tracks, and footprints
M through O: Documents and electronics
P through S: Blood and biological
T through Z: Combustibles and explosives
The instructor has the discretion to reassign students to an alternative category to ensure topics are all covered.
Your presentation must address the following elements:
description of the type(s) of evidence included in this category
an overview of how that type of evidence emerged
how it was first used and any historical significance
current uses
how it should be documented
packaging methods
explanation of why this methodology is used
potential admissibility issues in court
PowerPoint or any other presentation software may be used to visually present your research design. Write speaker’s notes as a script at the bottom of each slide to enable smooth narration. Narration is required. To include narration, you will need to record your presentation using Screencast-O-Matic or similar software and link it to share with others. You will need either a laptop’s built-in microphone or an external microphone headset to record your voice.
The file for the presentation should be attached or embedded in your post for your peers to review, and be sure to add the link to your screencast recording. The following presentation resources are available in the Writing Center for you to use:
How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation
Presentation Tips
Your presentation should have a minimum of five content slides (excluding cover and reference slides) and be at least three minutes long. Support your presentation with examples from this week’s required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources and properly cite any references either in the text, on bullet points, or in the notes section.
You must use at least one scholarly or credible professional resource to support your presentation. The presentation must include a cover slide, and references slide for sources cited in the body of the presentation. In the notes section of the references slide, you must indicate how the group divided the work.
