Chapter 7
DNA Profiling
Embedded Files
End of Chapter Activities
End of Chapter Activities
Below you will find case studies and case file activities students may complete at the end of the chapter. I have included the "Scenario" statements provided in the student textbook for each activity. For cases that do not list a "Scenario" or for scenarios that are extensive, I have provided a description of objectives instead. These "Case Files" will be used to guide each chapter.
Students will engage in many other activities provided by the textbook resource and they will access all activities through the Schoology platform.
Case Studies
Case Studies
Colin Pitchfork (1987)
Colin Pitchfork (1987)
Grim Sleeper (2010)
Grim Sleeper (2010)
Ignoto Uno (Unknown One) (2017)
Ignoto Uno (Unknown One) (2017)
Billboard Boy (2018)
Billboard Boy (2018)
Case Files
Case Files
Forensic Science Investigation Activities
Simple DNA Extraction
Simple DNA Extraction
By the end of this activity, you will be able to:
Extract DNA from raw (unprocessed) wheat germ.
Describe the role of detergent, meat tenderizer, and alcohol in the extraction.
Compare and contrast the solubility of DNA in the soapy solution and the alcohol.
Describe how to extract DNA from other cell types.
The Break-In
The Break-In
A break-in occurred at a high school that involved the theft of several computers. At the time of the break-in, the building was empty. A motion detector in one of the hallways alerted police. When the police arrived, they found that one of the doors leading into the school had been propped open with paper wedged into the doorjamb. The door appeared to be locked, but it was not, and it could be pushed open. Near the door, police found a cold soft drink can. Because of the cool temperature of the drink, police suspected that the can was recently left by one of the intruders.
The can was bagged as evidence, and in the forensics laboratory, a DNA sample was obtained from the lip of the can. A clerk at a nearby convenience store remembered selling canned soft drinks to three young men just before the break-in occurred. The surveillance video in the convenience store was examined, and the clerk was able to provide the police with the names of all three young men who were in the store just prior to the break-in. The three young men were fingerprinted, and each provided a mouth swab containing their DNA sample.
Anna Anderson or Anastasia? STR Analysis
Anna Anderson or Anastasia? STR Analysis
At the completion of this activity, the student should be able to:
Analyze STR profiles of the tsar, tsarina, and Anna Anderson.
Determine if Anna Anderson was the biological daughter of the tsar and tsarina based on STR analysis.
Describe the number and types of different STR markers used in this analysis.
Summarize how to analyze STR profiles to determine if Anna Anderson was the daughter of the tsar and tsarina.
Describe other applications of STR analysis besides establishing maternity and paternity.
STR Identification of a September 11 Victim
STR Identification of a September 11 Victim
At the end of this activity, you will be able to:
Analyze the STR profiles of the two brothers, their mother, and the remains from the World Trade Center site (thought to be the boys’ father).
Determine if the unknown DNA could be the father of the two brothers.
Summarize how kinship can be established using STR profile analysis.
Identification of the Romanovs Using STR Profiling
Identification of the Romanovs Using STR Profiling
At the conclusion of this activity, students will be able to do the following:
Analyze the STR profiles of the nine skeletal remains found at the Romanov gravesite.
Given the STR profiles of Tsar Nicholas, Tsarina Alexandra, and the STR profiles obtained from the other skeletal remains in the gravesite, determine which remains belonged to the tsar and tsarina’s children and which belonged to the nonfamily members (servants and the family doctor).
Determine which allele in each child was inherited from the mother (tsarina) and which allele was inherited from the father (tsar) based on STR profiles.
Summarize how kinship or lack of kinship is established using STR profiles.
Bertino, A. J., & Bertino, P. (2020). Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations (Forensic Science, Fundamentals and Investigations) (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Possible Teacher Resources
Possible Teacher Resources
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