Mr.+Bellerillo

Mr. Jeffrey Bellerillo’s eighth-grade science classes participated in their version of crime scene investigation, CSI DuBois. The cross- curricular project was conducted in conjunction with the EETT (Enhancing Education Through Technology) technology grant. The students were given the opportunity to become forensic scientists, forensic photographers and criminalists. School Resource Officer John Licatovich of the DuBois City Police Department shared his expertise of how to secure crime scene and the importance of preserving the evidence. In teams of three, the students were allowed to enter the crime scene where they conducted their investigation. One member of the team took photographic records of the scene while the second member sketched the scene and recorded accurate position measurements of the evidence. The third student recorded the step-by-step account of the investigation. At the CSI lab, the team carefully analyzed fingerprints, footprints and tire tracks found at the scene and compared them to an online database. In addition to the project, the students were taught how to dust for fingerprints and were able to pull their own prints. In order to take the fingerprinting techniques to the next level, a video was created at the Pennsylvania State Police, DuBois Barracks where Trooper Carol Pontz demonstrated their “Live Scan” equipment, which includes optically scanning a suspect’s fingerprints. The prints are in turn compared to a national database that attempts to determine a positive identification of previously fingerprinted individuals. Mr. Bellerillo said that the project was a success. “Even students who may have not been interested in science previously, enjoyed the project,” he said. “It was something different. It was real neat,” eighth-grader Kally Hendricks said. “I loved it! It was very realistic,” eighth-grader Ben Henrichs said. The project met a number of significant goals. First, it exposed the students to various career opportunities that may not have been previously considered such as police officer, forensic scientist, forensic photographer, criminalist, entomologist, and writer. Second, it further reinforced the importance of the scientific method in everyday lives. Third, the project allowed for creative, critical thinking skills to be further developed.