Here’s a fantastic resource for high school students who are interested in criminology and forensic sciences. Forensics Illustrated is an eleven-unit forensics course for high school students that is offered in its entirely online, free.
The author explains:
Forensics Illustrated is comprehensive collection of all the resources collected, manufactured, and utilized by Brennon Sapp during his nine years of teaching Forensic Science to high school students. This information was published in its entirety in the fall of 2004 by EOA Scientific. Now this information is available to anyone for free.
Forensics Illustrated: Step Under the Tape includes online text, labs, projects, worksheets, tests, photos and sketches, powerpoint presentations, posters and more.
The units include:
- Introduction
- Physical Evidence
- Glass & Soil
- Fingerprints
- Hair & Fiber
- Firearms
- Ammunition & Ballistics
- Drugs & Paraphernalia
- Chemical Analysis
- Bodies & Autopsies
- DNA Typing
Powerpoint presentations that accompany each unit go into more detail, with presentations about subjects such as chromatography, hair analysis, soil labs and such. Worksheets also accompany each unit, as do tests and additional materials.
There are labs for some units. These are a soil lab, a developing fingerprints lab, a bullet striation analysis, a chromatography lab, a poison lab and DNA spooling where DNA is extracted from a strawberry. Worksheets and tests are available in .doc form, with a few available in PDF form. Note that the answer keys to the tests are password protected, so you will need to email the author if you have questions about any of the test answers.
The site also includes a simple CSI simulation that you can set up, along with a more in-depth one.
You can read about Mr. Sapp and his classes at the Louisville Courier-Journal.
It is important for parents to preview the materials for suitability for their children. This is a class that was given to many high school students over the years and it is a high school level curriculum, but that does not mean it is suitable for all students. The materials, content and subject matter will not be suitable for younger children and may not be suitable for all teens. While this is a well-crafted forensic science course, it does deal with subjects such as death, violence, drug use and sexual assault. Copies of actual autopsy reports for Ron Goldman and JonBenet Ramsey are included, for instance, along with photographs of autopsy equipment, skin contusions and such. Parents may wish to omit certain resources, units or materials.
You can find more forensic science resources for further studies here.
11 thoughts on “Complete high school forensics course offered free online”-
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Michele Still
(July 22, 2017 - 4:44 am)I have a daughter who would like to take this course. The high school she will be attending does not offer this course. Is there a way she can just take this one course?
Kerry Kallina
(April 7, 2018 - 11:41 pm)We are very interested in knowing how to get started in the above detailed forensics course for high schoolers. Our11th grade daughter is considering this for a college major and career. Please provide details as to how we can get started. What a great opportunity. Thank you, Kerry Kallina
Jillian Kilbo
(July 24, 2018 - 2:22 am)How do I access this forensic course?
A Magical Homeschool
(July 26, 2018 - 7:48 pm)Just click on the title of the course in blue. 🙂 The other links are in blue as well, to access the worksheets, power point, etc. HTH!
Barbara
(August 25, 2018 - 12:03 pm)How can I use this forensics course in my homeschool and access the test information?
Amy Rogers
(January 3, 2019 - 9:34 pm)Did the forensic science class count as a full or half credit. I’ve been looking at it online and it doesn’t look like it will take a full school year to complete. My daughter is interested in taking this class and she needs one more science.
A Magical Homeschool
(January 4, 2019 - 5:16 pm)The general standard for high school credit is to assign one credit for 150 hours coursework (including reading, labs & lectures). I don’t see anywhere on the site what their standard schedule is but it looks comprehensive. It’s 11 units and each one has multiple sections. If your daughter spends 7 hours on each of the units on average (perhaps doing the course 3x a week for 11 weeks, or nearly 3 months) then it would be a half credit course. If the course takes a school year to complete and 150 hours (which averages to 5 hours a week for 30 weeks, for example) with the use of some additional materials, then it could be a full credit course. Hope that helps!
Chris
(July 1, 2019 - 9:24 pm)My high school daughter who is ill would like to take this course. Please send details ASAP
JudithSmith
(October 22, 2019 - 12:34 pm)I would like for my 12th grader to take this course! How does she get started?
Thank you!
Rebecca Everitt
(June 26, 2020 - 12:18 pm)My daughter is very excited about this course. I’ve emailed the author to get the access codes for the tests and answers, but he hasn’t responded. Could you send them to me?
A Magical Homeschool
(June 26, 2020 - 4:26 pm)It is not my course and I do not have copies of the test answers. If the instructor is not replying to emails then I would suggest working out the answers with your child or on your own. The rest of the course can still be accessed as far as I know right from the site.