Page 7 - The Smoking Gun Gunshot Residue

Teaching

Timeline

GROUNDWORK
Before conducting this laboratory exercise, the details of The Investigation should be shared with the class to
provide the context of the crime. Covering this material once should be sufficient for all laboratory modules.

DAY 3
SCHEDULE 1:
This lab schedule is designed to take
5 days, with one hour of class time Discuss the experiments that were performed
per day. on the previous day.

View the video clips about gunshot residue,
pausing between each clip to talk about what
DAY 1 is being done. Read through the procedures
for Lab 2 so students will be prepared for the
Cover the background material on Gunshot Residue. following day.

Distribute lab procedures.

Assign pre-lab questions for homework. DAY 4

DAY 2 Have students follow the procedures for Lab 2
while completing the data collection sheet, then
answer the post-lab questions.
Review the lab procedures and the data
collection sheet. Emphasize that when If time permits, discuss the results of this
students add the diphenylamine solution, they activity.
must observe the swab immediately. The acid
will cause the swab to turn black in a short
period of time, which will obscure the results.
DAY 5
Instruct students to follow the lab procedures
for Lab 1. They should fill out their data If this is your only lab from The Mystery of Lyle
collection sheet for this lab by the end of class. and Louise, prepare for a mock trial.

THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE 7