Lesson Plan: Solving CSI Student Led Cases

Focus: Solving CSI Student Led Cases Developed by: Kari Dignum

Date: Dec 6, 2021

Time period: 1 class for solving, 3 previous for preparation Class: Science 6

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Objectives of the lesson Resources

● Students will gain a better understanding on how Each resource was created personally by Teacher D:
detectives complete their investigation and come to ● Student led case instructions
conclusions with the available evidence ● Student led case checklist
● Student led case rubric
● Students will practice creating a newspaper account
based on the student led crime scene Students have created their own case resources for
● Students will consider the possible hypotheses others to solve.
associated with the available related evidence ● The required documents were determined in
● Students will practice solving a case as a group by their rubric, checklist, and instructions
using their skills learned throughout the CSI unit ● Detective notebook for writing down notes

Reference to Program of Studies

General Learner Expectations:

● 6–8 Apply observation and inference skills to recognize and interpret patterns and to distinguish a specific
pattern from a group of similar patterns.
● 6–9 Apply knowledge of the properties and interactions of materials to the investigation and identification of
a material sample.

Specific Outcomes:
1. Recognize that evidence found at the scene of an activity may have unique characteristics that allow an
investigator to make inferences about the participants and the nature of the activity, and give examples of how
specific evidence may be used.
4. Investigate evidence and link it to a possible source

Language Arts Programs of Studies: Create Original Text

● Choose life themes encountered in reading, listening and viewing activities, and in own experiences, for
creating oral, print and other media texts
Plan for Differentiation/Inclusion Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
● The activity for students will have them working in ● Steps of a crime scene and several types of
groups (in pods) to create a crime scene. This will be crime scene evidence. These lessons have
useful as students can share knowledge and practice helped students to understand the importance
putting their information into words of evidence and properly acquiring them.
● The previous lessons began with the project ● Critical and creative thinking skills will be
instructions, rubric, and checklist so everyone has a useful for students.
clear sense of what to expect from the project. ● Skills in writing and language arts will be
● The newspaper article can be written on a personal beneficial for students.
device or on paper. It will be an excellent opportunity ● Teamwork skills are necessary to work
to practice their writing on a topic they personally together in solving the crime.
witnessed.

Activities

Part 1 1. Quick introduction and expectations for solving the crime. Will let students know that if time
allows, they will begin their newspaper article on the crime once they are finished solving it.
Introduction
Therefore it is important they each take detailed notes

Part 2 1. Students will have 15 minutes (displayed on the front counting clock) to get their mock crime
scene fully set up
Set up time
2. If they are ready early, they will silent read and wait for the other groups
3. The groups that will be switching will then be announced once everyone is ready. Students
will bring their notebook and a pencil to the other group's pod.

Part 3 2. Student work period to solve their crime scene project as a pod.

Solving the a. Each step must be completed as a group (meaning one piece of evidence at a time)
cases
b. Notes must be taken in their detective notebooks to make a final conclusion. These
notes will then be used to create a final newspaper article as well.

3. Teacher D will circle and answer questions as they arise

Part 4 4. Students can come to the front to pick up the newspaper instructions sheet with a rubric and
Newspaper planning section attached. They must silently read it over and speak with Teacher D if they
writing
 have any questions.

5. Students will then work on the planning section, and must get an approved stamp from
Teacher D prior to starting the article.

6. Students will then start on their 1 page news article on the crime scene they solved. More
time will be given to finish up during the next block.

Reflection after the lesson:

● By creating a project which was student led and group project based helped to keep the class focused on a
communal goal and organized throughout the creative process

● By creating a rubric, checklist and instructions sheet for the first day (3 classes prior to solving), students had
a clear sense of the expectations and could be reminded to look back on the information they were given
rather than flooding me with questions.

● For next time, I would add expectations in regard to appropriateness to the instructions sheet as two groups
proposed ideas to me which I found to be beyond their maturity level. This did not result in any serious
issues, but required more of my suggestions and attention.

● Allowing students creativity in regard to their scene story, evidence and suspects caused students to express
their ideas in the way which worked best for themselves and their group. For example, two groups created
suspect sketches with anime characters as suspects. This made them extra passionate about the project
product and increased the quality of their final product.

● Engaging students with the newspaper article after the completion of the crime scene helped to keep the
focus in the class as groups were at different stages of their work. This also served well as an
interdisciplinary assignment because students are currently studying the art of newspaper writing.

● Giving students a bonus opportunity caused several students to go the extra mile and create some amazing
visual pieces for their crime scene. I would definitely include an opportunity such as this in the future.