CastleView Forensics Ltd

INSET FORENSIC AND CRIME SCENE COURSES FOR TEACHERS

CastleViewUK Forensics Limited is an independent provider of training in the forensic sciences, these being defined as "the application of science to questions of law". Forensic Science can also be thought of as "the science of association". Why? Because one of its principle aims is to provide scientific evidence to show whether or not there has been any association between a suspect and a crime.



Our courses for teachers deliver a taste of what it is forensic scientists and crime scene examiners do on a daily basis. They will enable you to understand some of the issues these professionals meet in real casework, and provide hands-on experience of forensic practice through laboratory exercises and mock scenarios. Our courses will also enable you to identify ways in which you can create new activities for your own students.

INTRODUCTORY COURSES
We offer two, one-day introductory courses for teachers:

• Crime Scene Examination
• Forensic Examination in the Laboratory

Both of these introductory courses are designed to introduce key aspects of forensic casework and the application of scientific method in processing crime scenes and/or forensic evidence and are comprised of three sessions, the first introducing the forensic principles and a case scenario, followed by two hands-on laboratory-based sessions in which the case scenario is investigated.

The Forensic Examination course tracks the process of laboratory-based forensic examination of items from the point at which they are received at the customer services desk of a forensic laboratory to the creation of an expert report for the court of law. The crime scene examination course targets the processing of crime scenes to preserve the scene and maximise the recovery of physical evidence. An emphasis on both courses is the gaining of hands-on experience that will help you develop ideas that can be used in your own delivery in the classroom.

FOUR-DAY COURSES
Our four-day courses enable us to provide you with a far more immersive experience of forensic casework and are usually residential events delivered to groups of between 10 and 20 teachers. These courses can also be taken "in instalments" through periodic attendance, or tailored (see next page) to your particular requirements or budget.

• Crime Scene Course
• Forensic Investigation Course
• Fingerprints Course
• Combined Course

Each of our four-day courses is comprised of eight sessions, and is designed to engender knowledge in forensic practices and the application of scientific methods in forensic casework. The first session in each course gives an introduction to the material developed more fully in the following sessions. Each later session takes between two to three hours to complete, and is either lecture room or laboratory-based.

Day 1 of each course is primarily lecture-room based and includes presentations, demonstrations, and workshop activities; these provide the theoretical basis for the practical activities that follow. Day 2 completes the presentations after which participants then put new knowledge and ideas into practice through a series of activities involving crime scene, and/or laboratory-based activities, as appropriate. These practical activities are extended into day 3, and in day 4 participants develop new teaching materials, which they can use to support their own teaching. The emphasis in each course is on the recovery of evidence, its examination in the laboratory, and the science and technology that underpins the examination.

For example, the fingerprints course begins with an introduction to fingerprints, which outlines their form and classification, the nature of skin and the composition of secretions that form latent deposits, how these may be revealed using both chemical and physical methods, and ultimately, how they can be individualized.
Learning is put into practice through mini case scenarios in which participants work together to select appropriate methods to develop marks on a number of physical items before identifying the prints that are revealed.

CRIME SCENE COURSE
Day 1, Session 1 Introduction to Crime Scene Examination
Day 1, Session 2 Crime Scene Examination 1 (the investigative process; recovery of evidence 1)
Day 1, Session 3 Crime Scene Examination 2 (recovery of evidence 2)
Day 2, Session 4 Crime Scene Examination 3 (packaging and documentation)
Day 2, Session 5 Practical Recovery and Packaging of Evidence and the Chain of Custody
Day 3, Session 6 Practical Crime Scene Examination 1 (Volume Crime)
Day 3, Session 7 Practical Crime Scene Examination 2 (Serious Crime)
Day 4, Session 8 Designing and Delivering a Crime Scene Practical

FORENSIC INVESTIGATION COURSE
Day 1, Session 1 Introduction to Forensic Investigation
Day 1, Session 2 The Crime Scene to Court Process
Day 1, Session 3 Forensic Laboratory Practices
Day 2, Session 4 Examination of Evidence 1 (contact evidence - footwear)
Day 2, Session 5 Examination of Evidence 2 (trace evidence; hairs and fibres)
Day 3, Session 6 Examination of Evidence 3 (contact evidence - fingerprints and earmarks)
Day 3, Session 7 Examination of Evidence 4 (presumptive tests for trace residues - e.g., blood)
Day 4, Session 8 Designing and Delivering a Forensic Practical

FINGERPRINT COURSE
Day 1, Session 1 Introduction to Fingerprints
Day 1, Session 2 Fingerprint Classification Systems
Day 1, Session 3 Structure of Skin and Composition of Sweat
Day 2, Session 4 Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints
Day 2, Session 5 Practical Physical Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints
Day 3, Session 6 Practical Chemical Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints 1
Day 3, Session 7 Practical Chemical Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints 2
Day 4, Session 8 Designing and Delivering a Fingerprint Recovery and Examination Practical

COMBINED CRIME SCENE / FORENSIC INVESTIGATION COURSE
Day 1, Session 1 The Crime Scene to Court Process
Day 1, Session 2 Introduction to Crime Scene Examination
Day 1, Session 3 Practical Physical Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints
Day 2, Session 4 Practical Recovery and Packaging of Evidence and the Chain of Custody
Day 2, Session 5 Practical Crime Scene Examination 1 (Volume Crime)
Day 3, Session 6 Examination of Evidence 1 (contact evidence - e.g., finger marks)
Day 3, Session 7 Examination of Evidence 2 (trace evidence - e.g., fibres and dna)
Day 4, Session 8 Designing and Delivering a Crime Scene / Forensic Practical

PLANNING AHEAD
Our courses are popular so it is important to plan well ahead to avoid disappointment and missed opportunity. Universities do not always have a great deal of slack during term time, so when based on university campus, our four-day courses are usually available only during vacation periods. For these reasons, we typically need around two months to secure appropriate campus facilities. Where courses are run locally and within a school or college, we can bring them to you, and when you want them, providing we are able to deliver to a minimum number of 20 teachers. We can coordinate arrangements to bring teachers together from several schools and colleges within your local area making the event cost effective for all.

COSTS
We know that funds are always limited within schools and colleges and so we strive to maintain lowest possible costs whilst delivering an experience which combines professional development through learning with fun. And because we want you to come back to us again we work hard to deliver that memorable experience at a fair price. Please contact us for details.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
To register your interest on one of our courses, please use the on-line enquiry form on our web site.

Brochure
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Teaching Aids

We supply a wide range of materials to support the teaching of forensic science, ranging from physical materials (e,g, fingerprint powders, brushes, crime scene suits ..), science aids (e.g., fact and instruction sheets), and forensic forms and documents. Items can be ordered from our On-Line Shop; some can be downloaded for immediate use.
(off line)