Association for Biology Laboratory Education

What Happened to Alice Newfield? An Investigative Case Study to Engage Non-science Majors' Interest in the Diversity of Life and the Nature of Science
 



Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2012, Volume 33

Lori Ann Rose

Abstract

This exercise is designed to engage the interest of non-science majors in introductory level general biology lab. Student learning teams are presented with a crime scene scenario and evidence; the scenario and 'evidence' used should be locally relevant. Each team analyzes samples, identifies organisms present to the extent of their knowledge and keys available, proposes a hypothesis regarding the crime committed and presents their work to the class for review. Each team must support their hypothesis by presenting the data collected, indicating inferences made from it and why. The lab instructor then leads a discussion reinforcing "the nature of science."

Keywords:  scientific method, hypothesis testing, crime lab, dichotomous key

New Mexico State University (2011)