Cool Forensic Links
Picked by us for you. And we’re picky.
Only about 3% of sites we become aware of make the cut, so you know they’re worth a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gZ7CKKP3MY&t=345s
A crime scene analyst does a great job explaining how bullet trajectories are determined, and what happens to a bullet when it strikes its target.
https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/11/solution-hairy-problem-forensic-science
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new way to analyze hair proteins without destroying them. Once in solution, the protein molecules from two hairs can be analyzed and compared, yielding objective, quantitative results. This site goes over the process and the structure of hair in a way that’s nothing less than amazing.
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline
This is where you go when you want to binge watch every episode of Dateline, one of America’s favorite true crime programs. Unfortunately, you still have to sit through commercials. If you sign up for Peacock TV, you have access to a dateline–only channel where you can watch until your eyeballs melt.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=forensics+expert+examines+20+crime+scenes
This link reveals dozens of YouTube videos hosted by forensic experts and detectives who debunk CSI techniques from movies and TV, as well as demonstrate proper procedures and explain how to secure and analyze evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXtOQXUbPgU
A YouTube video with 12 logic puzzles using crime and criminals as their subject matter. Each requires quick thinking and sharp problem-solving skills because you have less than a minute between each. Want more? The YouTube sidebar has them ready or you can visit the authors’ YouTube channel: 7-Second Riddles.
https://alvideo.ameslab.gov/archive/bpa-videos/?fbclid=IwAR3oRdRo06ZIh__gV5XGlTAG1IBmgMctVo228z-wH1bEvGbpireAwt32aJc
High speed digital video analysis of bloodstain pattern formation from common bloodletting mechanisms.
http://www.microlabgallery.com/hair.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1sZs2smS9WybzVBGKNZWI3IrSjLco0-wECZUayvIL0fDmr0RWfMis0nJU
A delightful photomicrograph gallery of hair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WpQFB8i9YA&list=PLh7mthBh1GtnZeQfr8I6BqvjHcl2nPd_M&index=26
A series of videos from the National Forensics Science Technology Center that points out common misconceptions about forensics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHTz66Jq0Dg&list=PLibNZv5Zd0dzmgAyav3R8SfXc-64Oly_k&index=6&t=26s
A forensics expert examines 20 crime scene investigations from film & TV (warning: F-bombs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jn67tdEGY4&list=PLeROW1LBW2aGRzhfnNRjinjTktdK8oABZ&index=8&t=402s
An autopsy of an obese woman that demonstrates the effects of fat on the human body. It’s not what you think it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW_P2ngKPws&list=PLeROW1LBW2aGRzhfnNRjinjTktdK8oABZ&index=26&t=0s
John Stewart, FBI agent and unit chief at the Hazardous Devices School, breaks down how bomb units in the police and military dispose of improvised explosive devices (IED) and other forms of ordnance.
http://stem-works.com/subjects/10-crime-scene-investigation/articles
Nearly five dozen cool crime scene investigation articles from a variety of sources for your students to use as content starting places for discussion/sharing activities.
https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/common-online-scams
Even if you and your students aren’t doing a unit on digital forensics, this is a great site to learn about the kinds of scams we face everyday.
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmemory.html
This website is a delightful collection of 20 memory challenges for you and your students that features exercises based on neuropsychology that demonstrate how our memories often fail us and sometimes why out of sight is out of mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPuJcSkx8Es&list=PLeROW1LBW2aGRzhfnNRjinjTktdK8oABZ&index=7&t=1184s
A fascinating look inside one of the best preserved, oldest mummies ever found
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/resources/weblinks.html
The top of the page features valuable links to resources you and your students have been waiting for, and the rest of it is an amazing collection of links for k-12 forensic activities. If you’ve ever doubted the US Government can do anything right this is proof it can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHywidLX6A&t=374s
Simona Francese is an outstanding player in the world of forensics, particularly fingerprints. This link will take you to one of her TED talks on the subject that will delight you and your students.
https://www.cbdiai.org/start-interactive-chemical-reagent-program.html
A jaw-dropping collection of techniques for finding latent prints on any surface imaginable. From the Chesapeake Bay Division of the IAI.
https://newrepublic.com/article/148170/supreme-court-rewrite-rules-dna-searches
A topical privacy issue for your students to debate as Ancestry and 23andMe are used by law enforcement to search your relatives’ DNA to narrow the search for you.
https://www.academia.edu/28585751/A_FORENSIC_SCIENCE_RESOURCE_BOOK_FOR_TEACHERS or https://www.scribd.com/doc/306322271/Whodunit-Teacher-Resource
An outstanding forensic resource pdf for teachers. It is over 50 pages long and includes reproducibles, forensic skill activities, lessons, and scenarios. New to teaching forensics? Get it! Jaded? You’ll wish you had it years ago. Sign in required to download.
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7201&context=jclc
After the landmark Mayfield case this was one of the first in-depth, objective commentaries on the subject of the fallibility of fingerprints. A great starting place to show students how sometimes supposedly watertight evidence just isn’t so.
https://www.fbi.gov/services/laboratory/biometric-analysis/codis
Everything you ever wanted to know about CODIS, and then some.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/csi-collection.html
If you think you want to collect it, this site explains how. Seriously.
http://www.sfu.museum/forensics/eng/documents/teacherlivepage.apple.comguide/
The Virtual Museum of Canada features a forensic activity that will keep your students engaged as they work to solve a horrible crime. Like all things Canadian, it’s top notch. Start with the “Recover” tab.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232227.pdf
Knife and Saw Toolmark Analysis in Bone: A Manual Designed for the Examination of Criminal Mutilation and Dismemberment. If your students ever look for toolmarks on bones you need this.
https://ws680.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_ id=910745#livepage.apple.compage=15
Latent Print Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice through a Systems Approach. The Bible of this specialty.
https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/forensic-psychology/forensic-science-lessons-students/
Hosted by Maryville University, this page features a couple dozen worthwhile links to forensic activities.
https://www.nij.gov/publishingimages/latent-print-process-large.jpg
A chart showing the decisions faced by latent print examiners as they handle evidence and how those decisions are made.
http://www.forensicpage.com/new09.htm
Reddy’s Forensic Page. The link above will take you to an amazing collection of links for high school forensics.
Clip off the “/new09.htm” for more. Wow.
http://catalogimages.wiley.com/images/db/pdf/9780470758045.excerpt.pdf
This is the first chapter of Essential Forensic Biology, 2nd Ed. by Alan Gun, The Decay, Discovery And Recovery Of Human Bodies. A succinct, but thorough treatment of the subject.
https://www.criminaljusticeprograms.com/online-criminal-justice-degrees/
If you or your students are interested in a career in criminal justice this is a good place to scope out online and traditional programs.
https://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/tools.html
A very nice introduction to forensic anthropology from the folks at the Smithsonian. Be sure to check out the Additional Resources tab on the left for a collection of videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmJvmzDcG0
John Oliver’s take on forensics, its uses, and its abuses. He delves into how and why DNA, fingerprints, and other kinds of evidence might no longer be airtight. Warning: contains F-bombs. Very well done.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/employment.html
This site is a great way to demonstrate to interested students the demand for qualified forensic investigators. Tons of resources.
www.CountyOffice.org
If you’ve ever wanted contact information for anything or anyone official near you, like the medical examiner’s office or a non-emergency number for you local police, this site appears to have it all after you enter your zip code.
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/chemistry-careers/forensic-chemistry.html
If you like chemistry and are thinking about a career in forensics this site provides background info to consider
http://bsapp.com/forensics_illustrated/index.html
There’s some well-designed labs on this site if you’re looking to flesh out your curriculum, especially if you teach chemistry.
cdn.makezine.com/make/2011/04/MAKEVol26TruthMeter.pdf
Plans for you to make a galvanic skin meter AKA a lie detector. Maybe you won’t catch one of your students in a lie, but you’ll have fun nonetheless.
http://fitsmallbusiness.com/how-to-detect-counterfeit-money
A neat guide to a whole new way to look at currency. Think you know what a real and fake bill look like? Think you can tell the difference? This site has some interesting things to say.
http://www.nclark.net/ForensicChem
A great collection of resources, but be warned: you’re going to get sucked in.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/225320.pdf
Talk about the Holy Grail—this is the Fingerprint Sourcebook from the National Institute of Justice. This book is so complete it’s forgotten more than you’ll ever know about fingerprints. Wow. Just wow.
http://www.naturphilosophie.co.uk/we-delve-into-time-of-flight-mass-spectrometry-forensics/
Don’t let the technical language distract you and you’ll be rewarded with a cool explanation of how great fingerprints really are.
http://www.aafs.org/resources/forensic-links/
A list of organizations for whatever branch of forensics tickles your fancy. If you can’t find it here chances are good it ain’t to be found.
http://ithare.com/a-beginners-guide-to-computerforensics/
If you or your students have any interest in computer forensics this is a site not to miss. There’s more info here than you can
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/forensic_geology/Geoforensics%20Case%20Histories.htm
A ton of neat cases where forensic geology was used to solve crimes. If you think rocks only relate to crime as weapons this site will change your mind.
https://www.nhn.ou.edu/assets/reu/Soils_Module.pdf
A 90-page work of art if you ever want to do a unit on the role of soils in environmental forensics. Nicely done.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/simplifiedguide-to-trace-evidence.html
A nice introduction to trace evidence for teachers thinking about adding a unit to their curriculum.
http://www.thehomescientist.com/forensics/Illustrated_Guide_to_Home_Forensic_Science_Experiments.pdf
This is a monster 450-page guide to doing forensic experiments at home, and pages 35-73 are devoted to forensic soil analysis. If you EVER wanted to know how to do something in your classroom start here.
http://shs2.westport.k12.ct.us/forensics/11-forensic_anthropology/skeletal_analysis_worksheet.htm
A very nice treatment of skeletal remains; lots of great info and a worksheet for your students.
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/landsteiner/readmore.html
This site does a great job of explaining blood typing. PLUS, there’s a neat game at the top of the page to see if you really know what you’re doing when it comes to blood types. Just remember to use the syringe to draw blood from the patient’s elbow and deposit it in the typing tubes on the right.
http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/gk12/downloads/Face-Misident.pdf
This one is worth the time it takes to skim its 31 pages. Seriously. There’s a structured lesson plan that will not only keep your students interested over a couple weeks, but will only take up a couple minutes each day it runs. This document will show you first-hand why eyewitness evidence can be both terrifying and horribly wrong.
http://www.mlbgsd.k12.pa.us/Page/708
Leslie Hepler has done a nice job putting together a website with a lot of great resources. She has assignments, handouts, video links, and labs for a variety of topics. Definitely worth a look.
http://shodor.org/succeed/curriculum/workshops/Forensics/logicPuzzles/intro/
Though not extensive, there are some interesting activities on this site if you remember to hit the “Next Section” button at the bottom of the screen. You and your students will find a number of challenges here.
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/sci__tech/forensic_science.html
If you can connect your computer to a projector for the entire class you’ll have a ball on this site. There are a mess of fun quizzes about forensics here, some answers are from your lessons and other are from the world of trivia.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/poisoners/player/
If you’ve never seen The Poisoner’s Handbook you’ve missed out on a real treat. It’s a great movie about the dawn of forensic toxicology in New York City.
http://www.forensicsciencedegree.org/top-websites-to-bookmark/
If you don’t look through this list of top 100 forensic websites it means you’re out of rigor and have 2nd stage instars on your arms. Only the dead wouldn’t look through this list. Or brain dead.
http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org
A great place to learn about forensics for someone wanting to get up to speed quickly. Send new students here for a webquest. Don’t forget to check out the “Find Out More” sidebar in every subject for the full experience.
http://fepac-edu.org/accredited-universities
If any of your students (or you) want a degree in forensic science this is the site to visit for information about accredited programs.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/resources/subj_04_01.html
The folks at NOVA have always produced quality work and this website is no exception. Seriously. Make sure to explore the Teacher’s Guides By Subject at the right side of the screen.
https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/fbi-story/the-fbi-story-2014
The FBI worked overtime to produce this scrapbook about its history. You can save the webpage as a PDF for later reading. It’s colorful, it’s to the point, and none of the really cool tales are longer than one page. Definitely something to savor.
http://aboutforensics.co.uk
A wonderfully thorough and visually smooth place to go if you have any questions about forensics. This would be a great place to send students on a webquest.
http://bsapp.com/forensics_illustrated/index.html
Dr. Brennen Sapp put his entire forensics curriculum on this site. It’s incredible. He has PowerPoints, worksheets, labs, tests, etc. Definitely a site to remember if you’re new to teaching forensics.
http://www.awifs.org
The Association of Women in Forensic Science. Networking, resources, inspiration? This site has it all.
http://forensicoutreach.com/category/csi-and-forensic-science/
This site has a rich library of forensic articles. Definitely worth a look.
http://postalmuseum.si.edu/inspectors/index.html
The physical exhibit is no longer at the Smithsonian, but you can lose yourself at this site as you learn about the various forensic hats postal inspectors wear to keep you safe.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/
Engaging little site that somehow will suck you in as you find yourself drawn to explore the tabs and links.
http://www.evidencemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1503&Itemid=9
If you’ve ever been bothered by the sight of abused pets this article explains how vets are using forensics to help animals.
http://www.aplusphysics.com/educators/activities/forensics.html
This site features three real-world crimes that can be solved with high school physics as well as and an intriguing webquest. A neat real-world application of physics to forensics.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/not-movies-study-kills-myths-about-hit-men-n83126
An interesting revelation on the whole hit man persona.
http://www.firearmsid.com
Awesome. One of the best websites we’ve ever seen devoted to a single topic. If you can’t find it here it’s not out there. Free registration required.
http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/tp/hollywood-tv-show-business-gun-myths-pet-peeves.htm/
If you or anyone has learned what they know about firearms from TV or movies this site is entertaining.
http://www.atf.gov
The amount of information on this site is incredible if you have the time to dig.
http://www.cartridgecomparisonguide.com
Sporadic, but when you get there dig a little and prepare to be overwhelmed by cool photos.
http://www.ahctv.com/tv-shows/ultimate-weapons/machine-gun-quiz.htm/
If you think you know machine guns take this little quiz.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Bulletproof_vests.aspx
Fascinating reading about staying alive when the bad guys have guns.
http://www.jjay.cuny.edu
John Jay College in NYC. If your students want a career in criminalistics this place is worth a look-see.
http://www.nfstc.org/bja-programs/crime-scene-investigation-guide/
The National Forensic Science Technology Center has a crime scene investigation guide you can download for free.
http://www.istl.org/03-spring/internet.html#intro
A cool list of links to a wide variety of forensic resources on the web.
http://www.myfloridalaw.com/criminal-defense/criminals-public-enemy-era/
An interesting site featuring some of the twentieth century’s most famous criminals and their backstories.
http://theiai.org/links.php
A very tasty list of law enforcement sites and documents
http://theiai.org/disciplines/
If you or your students have ever wondered what disciplines count as forensic ones, wonder no more.
http://www.nfstc.org/service/forensics-training/online-course-intro-to-csi/
Anyone who wants basic forensic training without traveling will like the opportunity presented here.
http://www.nfstc.org/service/forensics-training/online-course-intermediate-crime-scene-investigation/
Anyone who wants intermediate forensic training without traveling will like the opportunity presented here.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5641249_write-crime-scene-forensics-report.html
We know you know all this, but it’s still a good checklist of things students should keep in mind when going over a crime scene, especially if it’s for the first time.
http://www.abfo.org
The final word for forensic odontology. You have questions, they have ALL kinds of answers.
http://crime-scene-investigator.net
Your students will love this site—it tells you about the different specialties, suggests colleges and how to become a CSI, and lots and lots of other great stuff. Teachers will love it too.
http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games
The FBI has done a nice job of putting together a collection of links that will keep students engaged for a long time.
http://forensicentomology.com
A good starting place for anyone who wants to know more about bugs.
http://www.istl.org/03-spring/internet.html#intro
The site is an older one, but the links have been updated, and there’s a LOT to chose from. Tons of info.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/forensic_science/index.html
If you want the latest breaking forensic news you can do a lot worse than the New York Times
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/security/identity-and-reputation-protecting-your-company-and-yourself/6830
Given what teens send each other and post to the world, this blog represents a warning to the digital generation.
http://www.forensicpage.com
The gentleman behind this website offers a treasure chest of great forensics links. Wow.
http://joegiacalone.net/cold-case-squad/
A great blog about cold cases with lots of eye candy. Don’t go to this site if you have work to do. You won’t do it.
http://www.abarbour.net/vlibft.html
A very nice collection of links, especially if you follow some of them because you’ll uncover a lot more. Some general forensics stuff, but mostly forensic toxicology.
http://www.abine.com/blog/2012/how-to-delete-things-from-the-internet-a-guide-to-doing-the-impossible/
Just what it says.
http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/the-security-outlet/what-happens-online-stays-online-forever-21145
Does everything on the Internet stay there forever?
http://youngadults.about.com/od/legalissues/a/facebookcaveat.htm
Five great reasons why teens need to be very, very careful on Facebook. Something for your students to think about.
http://howsecureismypassword.net
Type in any password and this website will let you know how long it would take a determined hacker to get in. You’ll be surprised.
http://www.dfinews.com/article/starting-career-digital-forensics-part-1
A great guide to what you need to know if you’re good with computers and want to apply your skills to catching bad guys.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/10/sorting-the-real-sandy-photos-from-the-fakes/264243/
A very nice examination of doctored photos you may have seen after hurricane Sandy
http://forensicphotoshop.blogspot.com/2010/07/authentication-of-on-line-images.html
A court ruling about the admissibility of images that may have been altered. VERY interesting.
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/january/piecing-together-digital-evidence
Great story about how the FBI investigated a massive environmental cover-up using digital forensics.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/csi-photo.html
If you’re paranoid about fake photos this is the site for you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16187225
One of the COOLEST crime scene depictions ever.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/interactive-tools/autopsy/
An introduction to the autopsy without a lot of gore.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/index.html
An unbelievable resource for a ton of forensic information.
http://nationalparalegal.edu/conLawCrimProc_Public/PoliceInterrogation/MirandaVsArizona.asp
A cool refresher about Miranda and how it works. Worth checking out.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/forensics/index3.html
A great collection of forensic links compiled by PBS. Nicely done.
http://www.all-about-forensic-science.com/educational-resources.html
A compilation of forensic information that will take you a month of planning periods to go through.
http://www.ncstl.org/education/Finding%20Forensic%20%3CBR%3EResources%20on%20the%20Web
An unbelievably great resource. These folks are wonderful. The material is first-rate and there’s tons of it.
http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/comic/XPlayer.html
A cartoon version of an archaeologic site to figure out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RntJfGGU2YQ&feature=pyv&ad=3326958672&kw=dick%20hardwick
Dick Hardwick raps Miranda rights. Entertaining and educational.
http://www.crimemuseum.org
The website of the National Museum of Crime & Punishment. LOTS to do here.
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1203/teaching/teaching2.htm
A complete lab for estimating height from long bones.
http://people.howstuffworks.com/ten-bungled-crimes.htm
A neat collection of how people have royally screwed up.
http://www.chymist.com/forensics.html
A great place to look up details on many forensic subjects. Also has reproducibles, labs, and activities.
http://www.inreferencetomurder.com/html/forensics.html
An incredible reference site if you need to look up something quick.
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00206/lesson.htm
You’ll find quizzes, lesson plans, refreshers, and more on this site. Great for both students and teachers.
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/
A well-thought out way to lose one’s self learning about forensics in history. Fascinating.
http://www.enotes.com/forensic-science
An incredible collection of forensic references. Awesome for students if they’re planning reports
Forensic Technology Timeline
The most amazing collection of chronological events for emerging forensic technology you’ve ever seen
http://crime.about.com/od/history/Notorious_Crimes_and_Criminals_in_History.htm
If you like the study of criminals and crimes through history you’ll flip over this website which features lots of quizzes
http://criminal.findlaw.com/cimes/a-z/
A cool site that explains what constitutes the crimes we all hear about, and some we don’t
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/resources/subj_04_00.html
NOVA, a class act, offers reasonably priced videos about forensics
http://www.cbdiai.org/Reagents/main.html
An incredible site listing how to find fingerprints on just about every surface you can think of
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/index.html
A cool site with links to lots of TruTV forensic shows and episodes
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/index.htm
A very nice collection of forensic articles and links.
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/sciencep/forensic/
An incredible collection of forensic resources and links.
http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/MiddleSchoolPortal/Forensic_Science
Don’t be fooled by the name; this site has LOADS of great forensic links worth checking out.
http://sciencespot.net/
A GREAT collection of science resources including forensics.
http://www.fun-science-project-ideas.com/Forensic-Science-for-Kids.html
A simple mystery using sand
http://www.forensicpage.com
A large and varied collection of cool forensic links.
http://forensics.rice.edu
An interactive site your students will enjoy after free registration; or, maybe you can register and they can all be you at login.
http://www.forensicnetbase.com/
An incredible collection of forensic resources and links.
http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/crime.html
A neat, short, challenging little forensic mystery lesson to whet your students appetites for more.
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/fwalgae/Introduction/preserve.htm
Everything you wanted to know and more about collecting and preserving algae for when you need this kind of evidence.