OSI teaches students about science Published March 15, 2012 By Tyler Grimes 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- There was a crime on base Monday. Fortunately, the sixth-grade students from Travis Elementary School were on the case. This staged criminal investigation hosted by the Office of Special Investigations was designed to teach students about the real science behind their favorite television shows. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the nation ranks 19th in science literacy out of 33 of the most developed countries in the world among 15-year-old students. Furthermore, the demand for high-paying careers in science-related fields such as engineering, is steadily on the rise, according the U.S. Department of Labor. Based on this data, the need to get children interested in science of the utmost importance and will require new teaching techniques, and the OSI team is ready for the job. "It's important to get kids excited about science they learn in the classroom and then see it applied in the real world," said Elizabeth Richards, OSI forensic science consultant. "Some of them get really excited about this because they have seen shows like 'CSI.'" Much like an episode of "CSI," the mock investigation began at the scene of the crime. The students first observed the body of Ginger spread out across the floor. They then gathered evidence surrounding the body such as DNA from a knife, finger prints off candy wrappers and shoe impressions left from a piece of paper on the ground. With the evidence collected, the students learned how the OSI team uses science to analyze the clues. The investigators showed the students how a chemical compound can make substances glow in the dark. To demonstrate this, students took turns splashing red liquid onto a long sheet of paper then turned off the lights to watch in amazement as the pitch-black room was illuminated. During the most interactive part of the investigation, the students were taught how to lightly-dust objects for finger prints by swirling a brush with powder that combines with prints to make them more visible. Once the finger prints were identifiable, they were shown how to match the prints to the suspect's by using magnifying glass to discover all the different types of ridges found on the human hand. Throughout the investigation, Richards and her team encouraged the class to think critically and use their science skills to solve the case. "Crime investigations are very hard because you have to do everything mentally and you have to figure things out like a big puzzle," said sixth-grader Neo Ragland. Although Ragland was challenged by the day's event, he still had fun and may want to be an investigator someday, he said. It was finally revealed that in fact Richards was the suspect they had been looking for when she lifted up her foot to show her shoe imprint matched the one at the scene, the students gasped in astonishment. "They were really brilliant," Richards said. She said she was impressed with how Ragland and his classmates were able to use their scientific knowledge to solve the case. Having an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of science is critical for any future investigators according to Richards. "All of what we do at a crime scene is based on science, whether it's biology, chemistry or physics," she said.