Who's The Culprit?

Evelyn Williams                John Hope Academy
                               5515 S. Lowe Ave.
                               Chicago IL 60621
                               (312) 535-3160

Objectives:

This activity is suitable for the students in grades 4th thru 12th.  Students 
will be able to use science process skills to:  
1) Identify the pattern of each of their fingerprints; 
2) Become familiar with the process of fingerprinting; 
3) Formulate a hypothesis regarding the identity of a suspect based on 
    fingerprint information. 

Materials Needed:

wide transparent tape                    ceramic cup
pencils                                  magnifying glass
worksheets

Procedure:

Part 1

To get attention, make a loud sound - sirens sound.
Create a mystery - one fingerprint left as evidence.
Discuss the uniqueness of people leading to the fact that fingerprints are the 
only total uniqueness that people possess.  Compare and contrast pictures of 
twins.

Each student will carry out the following steps to create his own fingerprint 
card.
1.  Use a pencil to shade in the square on a piece of scratch paper or 
    worksheet.
2.  Rub the pad of your finger over the darkened area until it is darkened.
3.  Carefully, press a piece of tape over the darkened area of your finger, 
    being very careful not to smudge the print.
4.  Remove the tape and place it in the appropriate box on your "Unique You" 
    worksheet.
5.  Repeat with each finger and darken the area with the pencil again between
    each printing.
6.  Use a magnifying glass to classify each print as a whorl, loop or arch.

______________________________________________________________________________


"UNIQUE YOU" WORKSHEET

                                        Right Hand

                1  Thumb      2  Index     3  Middle    4  Ring      5  Little

Print

Classification _________     _________     ________     ________     ________


                                       Left Hand

                10  Little   9 Ring       8  Middle     7  Index     6  Thumb

Print

Classification __________  _________    __________      _________    _________


Part 2

Divide the class into groups of four to five students each.  Each group will 
receive a coffee mug and a blank reference fingerprint card for each person in 
the group.  Each person will make a print of his/her thumb or index finger 
(group decision) and place it on the reference card.  One person will make and 
additional print and put it on the coffee mug.  Each group will trade coffee mugs 
and fingerprint reference cards with another group.  The groups will work 
together to: 
    A) Classify the print on the mug as whorl, loop or arch;  
    B) Compare the print to those on the reference card and identify whose 
        print is on the mug; and 
    C) Report your findings to the class to see if your identification was 
        correct. 

Part 3 Graph

Make a class profile of the right hand of each member of the class.  Are there
more loops, whorls or arches?  As an additional exercise, make a class profile 
to compare and contrast the prints of the right and left hands.

Assessment:

Lift a fingerprint from their own finger.
Classify it as arch, whorl, or loop.
Match a mystery print with previously lifted print.

References:

Mystery At The Museum- Imaging: The Tools of Science, Museum of Science and 
Industry, Chicago, IL
AIMS  Activities that Integrate Math and Science,  AIMS Educational Foundation