TJ students learn to solve crimes through DNA testing
It was a case of “Who done it?” inside Nicole Cook’s ninth-grade biology class at Thomas Jefferson High School.
A man named Edward had been murdered on his walk home from work on a late October night and it was up to students to find the killer using DNA testing.
After learning all about the scientific aspects of DNA in class, this hands-on lab made science come to life for students and put them behind the scenes of some of their favorite crime shows.
“I think it shows them the whole process — not only of finding the pattern, but why the pattern is making the pattern that it is making,” Cook said.
Student Lily Pierce is a self-proclaimed mystery junkie, along with Cook.
For her, the lesson made science fun and allowed her to see just what goes on behind the scenes in her favorite suspense thriller, “Criminal Minds.”
“It’s an opportunity for us to do exactly what they’re doing,” said Lily, 14. “It definitely gave me a better understanding and it definitely allowed me to see better how they do it.”
After testing the DNA, students compared strips to determine which of the three suspects had the unique pattern that matched that of the killer.
Sarah Berendowski, 14, couldn’t wait to learn who it was. She quickly had to look through all of the results to know if her guess was correct.
Students said they learned much more about the process of solving a crime.
“The process is pretty cool, how they go through all of the suspects and eliminate them,” said Giavanna Solomon, 15. “It helped you understand the process in the TV shows. It’s not easy like they make it seem.”
Students also learned that DNA is important. The majority of the class had guessed wrongly – based on descriptions and evidence alone – as to who was the killer.
When they go home and watch their favorite TV shows, like “Law & Order,” students said they’re going to pay more attention.
“We might think more into it,” Giavanna said. “It’s not just the obvious choice. It’s not always what’s expected.”
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