The simulation was created after my students read a short excerpt on forensics. We had a workbook with many different writing styles; one of the topics was crime scene investigation. My younger students were very interested and had lots of questions. They read about themes like evidence collection, witnesses, not altering the crime scene, and more. However, the workbook had some boring writing activities after the reading, and they apparently wanted to "try out" the skills they read about. The idea of making the ending activity "experiential" turned a tedious writing activity into a highlight of the year.

This simulation works best in a multi-age classroom. The older students are tasked with creating the crime scene experience for the younger students. The older students love making the crime scene as much as the younger students look forward to solving it. The older students will need step-by-step guidance as they create the simulation, but it will be well worth it. Everything from the motive, characters, and evidence will be their creation, and they will be the actors as well. In my upper elementary classroom, the sixth graders wrote, created evidence, and were the main actors. The fifth grade played the smaller parts. This created an immersive world for the fourth graders to solve the mystery. When those fourth graders eventually become sixth graders, they get to create the crime scene for the next fourth graders, and it becomes a classroom tradition for years to come!

Preparation: 

·      A classroom

o   Suppose you can use more than one space. That can improve the experience if the "investigators" have multiple areas to search.

·      Materials for the students to make the "evidence."

·      The investigators should have clipboards and paper to record their witness interviews and small baggies to collect the evidence.

Age: This simulation is best suited for upper elementary and middle school