4 Day Forensic Summer Training Institute
Presented by Robert Adamo, Adjunct Professor of Forensic Science, Former Director of Westchester County Forensic Labs
Forensic Science for the Classroom: Engaging Students Through Criminology
This hands-on workshop introduces science teachers to the fascinating world of forensic science and its classroom applications. Participants will explore key topics such as blood and blood spatter analysis, fingerprinting, hair and fiber examination, toxicology, physical evidence collection, skeletal remains, and entomology.
Through interactive labs, simulated crime scenes, and ready-to-use resources, teachers will gain practical tools to integrate forensic investigations into their existing curriculum or develop a stand-alone half-year forensic science course. Emphasis will be placed on using forensic science to reinforce core concepts in biology, chemistry, and physics while sparking students’ curiosity and critical thinking skills.
By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with adaptable lesson materials, inquiry-based lab activities, and a deeper understanding of how real-world science can bring excitement and relevance to the classroom.
Program Goals
The goals of this professional development program are to:
- Provide a clear curriculum structure and sequencing for a classroom-based forensic science program.
- Strengthen content knowledge within key areas of forensic science, including biology, chemistry, and physics applications.
- Explore effective methods of teaching specific forensic topics and strategies for integrating them into existing science curricula.
- Enhance classroom presentations through engaging demonstrations and case-based learning experiences.
- Encourage innovation by introducing new laboratory and demonstration techniques to increase student engagement.
- Expand the scope of laboratory activities through hands-on experiences that model authentic forensic investigations.
- Create a collaborative forum for discussion, sharing of resources, and exchange of classroom-tested materials and ideas.
- Provide interdisciplinary training that supports teachers who instruct across multiple scientific disciplines.
Program Structure
The program consists of 30 hours of training, delivered over multiple sessions. Each day will focus on specific areas of forensic science, such as blood and spatter analysis, fingerprinting, toxicology, hair and fiber analysis, skeletal remains, entomology, and the collection and interpretation of physical evidence. Instruction will combine lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on laboratory work, allowing participants to experience and practice the activities they can later implement in their classrooms.
4 days Mon-Thu. 8:30-4:30 each day
Date: June 29th to July 2th, 2026
Time : 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Cost: $499.99
Place: Yonkers Public Schools TBA
Sponsored by: PWISTA
Credit : A 30-hour certificate toward in-service credit will be issued for use according to your school district’s policy.
Course Description
This course is designed for educators who are currently teaching a forensic science class or are considering developing one. Participants will explore major topics in forensic science and its critical role within the criminal justice system. Through lecture, discussion, and hands-on investigation, teachers will learn how forensic laboratories operate and how scientists analyze even the smallest traces of evidence to provide valuable investigative clues.
In addition to deepening scientific understanding, this course emphasizes practical classroom application. Educators will receive instructional tips, project ideas, and a list of reputable suppliers offering affordable classroom materials. Participants will also engage in simple, cost-effective “do-it-yourself” (DIY) forensic activities suitable for secondary-level instruction.
Lectures will be delivered in PowerPoint format, with participants receiving electronic PDF copies of presentations that include space for notes. Handouts will accompany each afternoon’s lab exercises. Several hands-on activities require the use of a magnifying glass (participants should bring their own), and safety glasses are required for designated lab activities.
Course Integration
Forensic science provides an interdisciplinary platform that connects biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, earth science, technology, and communication skills through the engaging theme of solving a mystery.
Course activities include:
- Hands-on laboratories
- Interactive computer simulations
- Case study analysis
- PowerPoint-supported lectures and demonstrations
Topics Covered
- Evidence collection and preservation
- Trace evidence (hair, fiber, pollen)
- Death determination (rigor, algor, and livor mortis)
- Forensic entomology and botany
- Blood spatter analysis
- DNA fingerprinting
- Impression evidence (fingerprints, footprints, dental, tire, tool marks)
- Bone analysis and osteobiography
- Ballistics and firearms examination
- Glass and fracture analysis
- Handwriting and document analysis
- Drug identification and toxicology
- Sand and soil analysis
- Forgery and counterfeiting investigations
Special emphasis will be placed on laboratory organization, cost-reduction strategies, and effective instruction for heterogeneous classrooms.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Integrate forensic science concepts into existing biology, chemistry, and physics curricula to enhance student engagement and inquiry.c science is and isn’t and to assist in encouraging students who may want to pursue a career in Forensic science
Explain the role of forensic laboratories within the criminal justice system.
Describe how scientists analyze evidence using a variety of scientific techniques.
Discuss major controversies and ethical issues in modern forensic science and their impact on criminal investigations.
Develop and deliver engaging, scientifically accurate forensic science lessons for middle and high school students.
Apply effective lab setups, safety protocols, and cost-saving methods for classroom implementation.
Monday morning session 8:30 AM-12 PM
8:30-8:45 AM – Introduction, course overview
8:45-10:00 AM – Lecture
Introduction to Forensic Science-
- History and development of crime labs
We will discuss how Forensic Science and medicolegal investigations developed first in Europe and China and how eventually it was introduced into the U.S. We will discuss the pioneers in Forensic science and the role they played in establishing the use of scientific techniques as an aid in criminal investigation. We will also discuss some historical cases such as Jack the Ripper and the Marie La Fage poisoning case and how they would be handled today.
We will also go over the move toward accreditation and regulations of Crime labs and how this has changed the way forensic science is practiced in the U.S and throughout the world. We will also go over the CSI effect and how that has played a role in the expectations of jurors, police, prosecutors, and the average citizen when it comes to solving crimes.
10:00-10:15 AM Break
10:15 -12:00 PM – Lecture
- Sections of a Crime laboratory- operations
In this lecture we will describe the operations of a modern crime laboratory and how the individual sections contribute to criminal investigations .We will discuss the requirements needed to run specific sections including educational requirements for hiring staff for each discipline .We will look at how colleges are seeking accreditation for their Forensic Science programs and the type of accreditation they must meet to confer a degree in Forensic science We will also go over how each discipline has changed over the years due to technological advances and the greater reliance on the use of science in helping to solve crimes .
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
Monday afternoon session – 1-4 PM Lecture and exercises
1-2 PM lecture
- Class and individual types of evidence
We will discuss the various types of evidence and the significance they play in criminal investigations. Topics will include the distinctions between class vs. individual type characteristics, what an analyst is permitted to testify to and the challenges of explaining the distinctions to a jury.
2-3:30 PM – Hands on exercises
- Impressions- examination and classification
Attendees will be given footwear impressions to examine and compare. The student will be asked to identify class and individual characteristics in the impressions and to identify the shoe that made the impression. We will discuss manufacturing vs. wear characteristics and how each contributes to a final comparison classification.
3:30-4:30 PM
Casting and lifting impressions
- Students will make two-dimensional dust prints and three-dimensional footwear impressions. They will then use various techniques to lift the 2D impressions and to prepare a cast of the 3D impression
- Demo. of how to cast a toolmark will be conducted by the instructor.
Tuesday Morning– 8:30-12 PM
8:30-10:00 AM – Lecture
Identification part 1
- Methods of personal Identification – DNA
In this lecture we will go through the steps of how a DNA analysis is conducted in the laboratory. We will start with the initial examination of evidence, how samples are screened and how samples move through the laboratory. We will then go step by step into the DNA analysis protocols and how ultimately a DNA profile is obtained.
Students will be given a fictitious DNA profile and will be asked to calculate the probability of finding someone at random having the same profile
10:00-10:15 AM – Break
10:15-11:15 AM-Lecture
- Computer databases, – CODIS
In this lecture we will discuss how the nationwide DNA database, CODIS is configured and how DNA profiles are searched. We will also go over other methods of DNA analysis including the recent introduction of using genealogical data bases such as 23 and me and Ancestry.com to criminal investigation. We will also discuss the introduction of rapid DNA testing at crime scenes and some controversies related to how DNA samples are sometimes obtained.
11:15-12:00 PM
Case studies
- We will discuss several cases that were solved by DNA utilization of the CODIS system
12:00-1:00 PM -Lunch
Tuesday afternoon session – Lecture and Exercises 1-4 PM
1:2:00 PM Lecture
Chemical Identification of biological fluids on evidence
In this lecture we will discuss the various screening tests used to identify biological fluids on evidence from crime scenes. We will discuss the limitations of these procedures and the role potential false positives and false negatives play in interpretation of test results. We will also discuss nondestructive techniques to identify biological stains.
2:00-4:30 PM – Hands on exercises
- Presumptive testing for blood- Phenolphthalein and Luminol tests
Students will be given samples containing non-human blood and non-blood samples and will be asked to perform two presumptive different tests to identify the presence of the heme portion in hemoglobin. Students will also test materials that give false positives with these reagents
- Examining stains with UV. Light
Students will examine nonbiological stain samples with a UV light to mimic how stains are identified at crime scenes. Students will be provided with both positive and negative samples and will be asked to identify which are “positive”
Morning– 8:30-12 PM
8:30-10:00 AM – Lecture
Lecture – Identification part 2
Methods of personal Identification- Fingerprinting
In this lecture we will discuss the history of fingerprinting and the pioneers in fingerprint identification. We will also discuss the various types of fingerprint patterns and how they are classified. We will also discuss different methods for developing fingerprints on evidence. Students will be given premade fingerprints with which they will identify as to type and classification. They will be asked to identify the fingerprint type, do a ridge count, and calculate a Henry primary classification on a set of fingerprints that will be provided.
10:00-10:15 AM – Break
10:15-12:00 PM Lecture
- Computer databases, – AFIS,
In this lecture we will discuss another computer database that is used for identification AFIS. This database stores fingerprints of individuals that can be compared against fingerprints collected at crime scenes. We will discuss how computer digitization allows these lifted prints to be compared.
- Case studies
We will go over several cases where finger printing played an important role in the investigation. We will also go over a case where fingerprinting implicated an innocent person and the outcome of that case.
Wednesday Afternoon 1-4 PM
1:00-4:30 PM Exercises- Identification and development
- Fingerprint Identification – making and classifying fingerprints
In this exercise w will have students ink their fingers and make a set of fingerprints which they will have to classify and conduct a Henry primary classification on.
- Fingerprint development – powders, magna brush, glue fuming
In this exercise we will have students prepare a set of latent fingerprints and have the students develop and lift them similar to how it is done at a crime scene.
Morning– 8:30-12 PM
8:30-10:00 AM – Lecture
- Firearms evidence
In this lecture we will discuss firearms evidence and how it is examined in the firearms section of the laboratory. We will discuss the difference between class and individual type firearms evidence and how the markings left on items such as cartridge cases and bullets can be searched against the NIBIN firearms evidence computer database.
10:00-10:15 AM Break
10:15-12:00 PM Lecture
- Chemical testing of firearms residue, toolmark evidence
In this lecture we will discuss how various chemical and instrumental techniques are applied to the analysis of the residue left after the discharge of a firearm. We will also discuss the role the firearms examiner plays in the examination of toolmarks and the microscopic and chemical techniques they apply.
12:00-1:00 Lunch
Thursday afternoon 1-4 PM Exercises
1:00-3:00 Exercises -Examination of cartridges and bullets
- Examining Cartridge cases for class and individual characteristics
In this exercise students will be given several expended cartridge cases and bullets to examine for class and individual characteristics. Students will use a vernier caliper to determine the caliber of the bullet both in mm and in hundredths of an inch.
- Testing materials for “gunshot residue “
In this exercise students will perform several simple tests used to detect lead, copper, nitrates, and nitrites in gunshot residue.
Introduction to Crime Scene Exam
Role of Physical Evidence in Criminal Investigations
Nature of Physical Evidence
Objectives Behind Evidence Examination
Applying the Scientific Method to Crime Scene Examination
Gathering Information From the Scene
3:00-4:30 PM
Wrap up of class
Certificates
Resources:
How to Cast and Analyze Dental Impressions Click here.
Forensic Pollen Analysis Click here.
- NSTA
- Free Sample Text
- Printable Flyer
We specialize in STEM Science and Math Courses.
Biology , Chemistry , Physics , Environmental , Precalculus and Calculus.
Other programs are offered ONLINE at our other Summer Institutes
All our courses will provide upon completion a Certified Certificate of Completion which states you have completed 30 hours of training in the specific science course for course audit and IACET.
We also Provide exclusive NYSED CTLE CREDIT CERTIFICATE for NY from NYS CTLE certificates.
We also provide Science Education Graduate Credit from Manhattanville College which is transferable to your institution for an additional cost.
8:30 am est to 4:30 pm est
Please contact us at apsi@pwista.com or at 914-497-8531 with any questions.
The Director of the Institute is Mr. Mark Langella, apsi@pwista.com
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