With protective goggles on their heads, students analyzed the Periodic Table of Elements for answers to questions being discussed in Laura Leeper’s Crime Busters class. All week the students have been solving “The Case of the Missing Quiz.” Ms. Leeper introduced the case and students developed hypotheses after reviewing the crime scene. Students have investigated powders, fingerprints, blood, and more using scientific methods to figure out which suspect is guilty.
Students had varying opinions on what they enjoyed learning most in the class. Many students like Matt said they enjoyed looking at the blood types. Others like Sophia thought the flame test was really cool. “I got to go up and help Ms. Leeper,” she said. Leeper held the torch as students took turns holding the material on a stick to see what color the flame would turn for each chemical. Other students liked using microscopes to analyze powders.
One thing is certain, campers learned a little bit of chemistry and have a better understanding of the processes involved when looking at the scene of a crime.
