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New Rochelle Students Become Forensic Scientists For A Day

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – It may not be CSI or NCIS, but some of New Rochelle’s most enterprising students got down and dirty this week as they took to Nature Study Woods to solve a crime for their Forensics class final exam.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson came to visit forensics teacher Scott Rubins and his high school students during the final exam.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson came to visit forensics teacher Scott Rubins and his high school students during the final exam.

Photo Credit: Contributed

New Rochelle students searching for evidence at the mock crime scene.

New Rochelle students searching for evidence at the mock crime scene.

Photo Credit: Contributed

There was (fake) blood, bodies and crime scenes, set up by the New Rochelle Police Department, as the high school students took everything they’ve learned in class to rope off the area, investigate, and figure out who the guilty party was.

With an assist from actual police officers, students dug through the mud, took photos, marked off evidence and made notes, evaluations and eventually conclusions as they sought to capture the suspect guilty of killing the faux victim.

Student’s touch on several aspects of science in the forensics class, combining biology, chemistry and physics to show students how true forensic scientists and law enforcement officials track down the bad guy.

Scott Rubins, who has taught the forensics class for nearly two decades, said that the class was originally created in the mid-1980s to instill critical thinking and processing skills in students, while providing an entertaining elective science course.

“This is always a phenomenal experience for our students,” he said. “This year, we had eight crime scenes that each depicts a murder. These are elaborate scenes to stage, with fake bodies, blood and evidence strewn all over the grounds. It’s an enormous undertaking that wouldn’t be possible without our student and alumni volunteers and the commitment of the New Rochelle Police Department.”

New Rochelle High School Principal Reginald Richardson said that the authenticity of the entire final exam makes the event something the students will never forget.

“A critical element of its success is the participation of the New Rochelle Police Department,” he said. “At its core, the exam provides an opportunity for authentic assessment by having the students process simulated crime scenes just as real crime scene investigators do. The student investigators interact with and are graded by New Rochelle police officers who are on site the entire day.”

 

 

 

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