Crime Solving Insects

Slide 14 explains the role and responsibilities of a forensic entomologist. Students should continue to fill in their Guided Notes handout. 

Move to slide 15 and introduce the I Notice, I Wonder strategy. Explain to students that they should add their reflections while watching the following two video clips to their Guided Notes handout. Transition to slide 16 and play the “Forensic Entomology” video clip. Next show slide 17 “How Entomologists Use Insects to Solve Crimes.”

Display slide 18 and have students continue filling in their Guided Notes handout. Advance to slide 19. Invite students to sketch the four stages of body decomposition using the Cognitive Comics instructional strategy. Explain that they should use the “Stages of Decomposition” section of the Guided Notes to depict the content visually. Encourage students to use an animal or human body as the main image. Once students are prepared, transition through the stages of decomposition with slides 20-23 in as much detail as needed. When reviewing the image of the fly life cycle, the stages appear clockwise from left as follows: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult.

Transition through slides 24-26, reviewing which insects appear at each decomposition stage. Emphasize how their presence or absence helps forensic scientists determine PMI (post-mortem interval). For example, when scientists see the Hide Beetle, they know that the flies have already come and gone and that the body is in a late stage of decomposition.

Display slide 27 and explain to students that, after reviewing how insects are used in forensic entomology, they will now learn about a professional who works with insects as part of his job. Show the ICAP video “Crime Solving Insects with Michael Chism.”

In the video, Chism explains his career, which involves using Dermestid Beetles to clean skulls and carcasses, and describes how he entered this field. After the video, move to slide 28 and review the educational pathways students can pursue to apply what they are learning about forensic entomology to the career highlighted in the video. Click the links to see program requirements at Oklahoma universities.

Slide 29 reviews insect succession. The table on slide 30 depicts which insects appear at which stage of the body decomposition. Highlight that Blow Flies are the first to arrive, as this is relevant to the case studies.  Slides 31-32 review other factors that impact a PMI (postmortem index). 

Divide students into small groups and distribute “Case 1” folders (see the Designing the Case Folders handout). You will model “Case 1” for the class. Give each student a Detective Notes handout. Display slide 33 and allow students time to review the materials. Then, invite students to place everything to the side or center of their group making sure to keep the bag of “evidence” still sealed closed. Next, lead a discussion using the 3-slide questions discussing the model case study. Instruct students to take notes on the Guided Notes handout. Next, have students find their Case Resources handout from the folder and advance to slide 34. Facilitate a class discussion using the questions: 

• Using what we know, what can we learn from the table?

• How does this help us solve the case?  

Display slide 35 and have students read through the Case Card for “Case 1.” Have the students measure their evidence. Let them work through the questions with their group before asking for volunteers to answer the questions. Facilitate a classroom discussion to clear up any misconceptions. Then move to slide 36 and go over the answers. 

Have students return all materials to their Case Folder and turn them in.