August 2006 Children’s Books by the Month

This month we feature titles from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Silenced!
by Bill Doyle
The use of environmental forensics to prevent and solve crimes against the environment involves the careful, scientific examination of nature.

Soil Particle Experiment
Objective: Students will observe the different particles in soil and determine their size and relative weight.

Supplies needed:
Jars or beakers filled with two cups of water; soil samples – 1⁄2 cup each in small plastic bags; stir sticks

Experiment:

1. Assign each student a partner and give each pair of students a soil sample, a jar with water and a stir stick.
2. Ask students to pour the dirt into the water and stir it well.
3. As the particles settle, have students take notes on which particles settle first and determine why.
4. After they have observed the soil mixture for 15 minutes, ask students for their findings.

Betrayed!
by Bill Doyle
Crypto-analysis becomes an important forensic tool with the increased need to analyze and crack codes to help investigators solve crimes.

Puzzles to Solve
Zeke solved word puzzles to help him crack the case. Try your luck with these puzzles.
Solve the Anagram below:
BUG TIM KNOTTS – __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __
Solve the Cryptogram below:

Swindled!
by Bill Doyle
Lifting fingerprints from crime scenes proves to be a valuable forensic technique and fingerprints continue to be the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide.

Fingerprint Experiment
Fitz and the Judge were able to lift the prints necessary to help them crack the case of the counterfeiters, but if they had known how to classify the fingerprints, their job would have been much easier.

Objective: Students will become detectives and use a fingerprinting technique to obtain and classify prints into one of three patterns.

Supplies needed:
Transparent tape; No. 2 pencil; blank white note card

Experiment:

1. Ask students to use a No. 2 pencil to rub a small area of lead on the note card, making a "stamp pad."
2. Students should then rub their finger over the stamp pad to cover the area between the tip of their finger and the bend at the first knuckle.
3. Using the sticky side of the transparent tape, have students roll their finger from one side to the other, leaving their fingerprint on the tape.
4. Affix the tape to a clean sheet of paper, and ask the students to identify the pattern of their fingerprints from one of the three to the right.

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Nabbed!
by Bill Doyle
A significant tool in investigations, the spiral notebook was invented in 1924, allowing detectives to jot down and keep track of important information.

Writing Assignment
Arrange students in pairs and assign each pair a news report about a recent (non-violent) crime. Teachers can use the following websites to find a news article.

The New York Times
Cable News Network
Chicago Tribune
Los Angeles Times

In a spiral notebook, have the students make a list of 10 interview questions they would ask each of the following: the detective, one of the witnesses and the suspect. After writing the questions, ask students to search for the answers to their questions in the news reports. Students should also keep a record of all new reports, noting new evidence revealed by any party in the case. As students follow the crime investigation, ask them to write down their conclusions regarding who committed the crime and how they did it. Students can then share their findings with the class.

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