The Forensic Science project topic is chosen by each student and should be in an area of personal interest. It is assigned the first day of class. It is due the week prior to exams. There are two parts to the project.

Information:  The information gathered and its organization serve as one half of the project. It should include the reference locations from which information was obtained. There should be material present that demonstrates an in depth investigation of the topic. The information cannot be plagiarized from any source and should reflect the students understanding of the material.

Topics for Projects                                                                           

Students may select:
    
1. A discipline of forensic science                             

2. A method of forensic analysis                              

3. A recent development in forensic science              

 Deadlines  for presentations: 
All Classes    DECEMBER 16, 2013

Presentation: The presentation portion of the project is the student’s opportunity to share the information they have acquired. They may choose to use photographs, a project board, a PowerPoint, or other visual aid to help them present.

The relationship between the information and the presentation is critical to a quality project.

The purpose of the project is to simulate the investigative process used in locating a piece of evidence, gathering information from multiple sources about it, and finally preparing a coherent display of information and understanding of the topic.

All resources and information should be gathered before the deadlines provided.

All projects should be ready for presentation on the Monday prior to the end of the course. Students will be chosen at random to present beginning on that Monday and should have all materials ready and in hand for their presentation.

Project requirements by Grade:

Grade 6        Wheel 300 words with 3 reference sources

Grade 7       350 words with 4 reference sources

Sources must include 1 printed media format, 1 website, and 1 personal contact (i.e. mail, phone, email, or interview).

Note**** Do not go to any website without parental approval. Disreputable websites may contain offensive materials or materials not suited to age level.

Professional websites:
International Association for Identification www.theiai.org 
Florida Division of the IAI                          www.fdiai.org
FBI Homepage                                          www.fbi.gov
Florida Department of Law Enforcement  www.fdle.fl.us

Grade 8 Projects

  8th grade classes will be studying the investigation and identification of drugs. As part of this study, the effects of use and abuse will be examined. The 8th grade project will be to prepare a 5 minute presentation which must include the following:

·   Scientific, common, and street names for the material selected

·  Drug classification (narcotic, amphetamine, depressant)

· Current event or case study as basis for report

· Criminal offense by Florida State Statute and penalties by level

·  Affects on the user psychological and physiological, target organs

·  Statistical data regarding use and trends, number of cases per year, deaths, etc.

· A prevention strategy such as 30 second commercial, poster, student resource

Approved websites provided below.

Resources must include a minimum of 1 website, 1 printed media, and 1 personal contact (i.e. phone, e-mail, mail request, interview)

Materials may be obtained from internet resources such as federal, state, and local government websites. Additional information may be obtained from community action or outreach groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), SADD, Alcoholics Anonymous, and clinical treatment centers.                       

http://www.library.louisville.edu/government/subjects/health/drug.html   
    Drug specific information

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov   
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/   
National Drug Intelligence Center

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ 
Drug Enforcement Administration

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/  
Bureau of Justice Statistics

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/  
Safe and Drug Free Schools Program

http://www.govtech.com 
Government Technology

http://www.fda.gov 
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

http://www.freevibe.com 
Office of National Drug Control Policy media site

http://www.drug-effects.com 
Narconon  Drug Treatment and Counseling

http://www.yic.gov/drugfree/drugeffects.html 
Drug information page

http://www.whitehouse.gov 
The White House - President Bush (search page)

http://www.drugstory.org 
Office of National Drug Control Policy  media site

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda.htm 
Office of Applied Studies (National Survey)