Science

Grade 3 ~ Fingerprints
Crime Lab Chemistry: Children assume the role of crime lab chemists and solve a crime using paper chromatography techniques. They explore similarities and variations of fingerprints and use a classification system to solve a crime. This unit combines two GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science), publications, Crime Lab Chemistry and Fingerprinting. They were developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

The project below is from a class Power Point presentation. The images are from our microscope. Students came up with the story board for the presentation and created separate pages in order to inform their audience about the different types of fingerprints they discovered. The students compiled and edited the pages to come up with one presentation. In the unit, the students analyzed their own fingerprints and looked for similarities. They came up with their own categories of fingerprint types before they found out the scientific names for the types. We graphed the categories of fingerprints we discovered on our own fingers, integrating science with math indicators.

You can view the project below or as a:

PDF file

PowerPoint