Post on 18-Dec-2015
transcript
The Development and Implementation of a Summer Camp for High School
Students Based on the Applications of Analytical Instrumentation in Forensic
Chemistry
Jennifer Batten, Ph.D.Department Head of Physical SciencesGrand Rapids Community College
The original idea for the camp resulted from: After many years of offering day and week long
events for younger students, we wanted to offer more in depth content and hands on experience for older students who wanted to experience real world lab work.
We hoped to make a lab experience available to students who may not otherwise have access.
We felt that a GC-MS was needed at GRCC to offer our students a complete instrumental experience and using the instrument as part of community outreach is an important part of any NSF-TUES proposal.
The Camp Concept
The guiding principles of the camp activities included:
Hands-on use and theory of analytical instrumentation would be stressed
Inquiry based learning would be involved All activities would focus on a common goal Communication and teamwork would be
emphasized
Guiding Principles
The following scenario was developed for the week long camp:
For our camp, we would imagine that there was recently an arson crime in the Grand Rapids area.
The Sheriff’s office was seeking help in identifying an arsonist from a pool of five suspects.
During the week, evidence recovered from the crime scene and several suspect’s automobiles and homes would be supplied.
This evidence would include accelerant soaked wood, DNA, a hand written note, soil and fingerprints.
It would be the students task to analyze all of the evidence and make a report to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Camp Scenario
Getting ready for the Forensic Chemistry Summer Camp required 6 main activities:
Advertising and recruiting Selecting, testing and writing experiments Purchasing supplies Hiring high school teachers and GRCC students
to assist with the camp Communicating with attendees Working with GRCC Lab support staff on
materials needed per day and lab setup
Getting Ready- Camp Preparation
The application was developed with the following items:
Camp Description Pictures of the instrumentation Personal information-name, address etc. Photographic and campus roaming
releases Campus dining options Essay requirements
Advertising and Recruiting
The camp was advertised and students were sent the application through several routes:1. Science teachers in select inner city schools
were contacted first with the hope of reaching underserved students.
2. GRCC’s Communications Department later contacted the counselors in GRPS, the Head of Communications in GRPS and the MSTA Region 4 representative.
Advertising and Recruiting
13 Males and 27 Females
School Grade: 8th -3, 9th-9, 10th-10, 11th-16, 12th- 2
9 enrolled in GRPS, the others enrolled in outer area public and private schools
37 of the 40 students completed the week long camp
Nearly all students expressed a goal for a career in science in their essay
Two students were turned away because the camps were full
Student Profile
There are legal issues in running a summer camp for minors, including: Liability waivers in case of injury Express permission for older minors to leave
science building alone Background checks for all adults who will
be in contact with minor students Institutional Review Board approval if
student data is to be collected
The Legal Stuff
Three weeks prior to the camp start date, students and parents were sent the following information: Letter of welcome explaining the dress
code, parking, drop/off pick up, meeting place, lunch options, and poster session
Campus map with key points highlighted IRB Consent Form and Liability Waiver A camp schedule
Information for Parents
Day/Topic Monday, 7/15Ink Analysis by Paper and High
Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC)
Tuesday, 7/16Soil Analysis by
Atomic Absorption
Spectroscopy (AAS)
Wednesday, 7/17Accelerant
Analysis by Gas Chromatography
/ Mass Spectrometry
Thursday, 7/18DNA Analysis by
Gel Electrophoresis
Friday, 7/19Finger Print
Analysis
9:00 a.m. Introductions, Scenario
Development, Poster and Notebook
Information, andSafety Rules
Theory of Liquid Chromatography
Soils Analysis and the
Theory of AAS
Accelerants and
GC/MS Theory
Theory of DNA in Crime
Scenes and Analysis by Gel Electrophoresi
s
Theory of Fingerprint
Analysis
10:00 Mobile Phase Determination Using Pens from Suspects
Soil Sample Preparation
Special Guest Speaker
Gel Preparation
Suspect Fingerprint
Collection and Analysis
11:00 Comparison of Ink at Crime
Scene to Pens Found in Suspect’s
Homes
Standard Solution
Preparation
Control and Sample
Preparation
GC/MS of Arson Scene Wood
Sample Preparation, Micropipette Practice and Gel Loading
Completion of Posters and Presentation Practice- Who Committed the Arson Crime?
11:30 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch and Camp Evaluations
12:00 p.m.
Analysis of “Best Match” using HPLC
Analysis of Soil Samples
and Standards Using AAS
GC/MS Data Collection
and Analysis
Data Collection, Gel Staining, and Data Analysis
1 p.m.Poster
Presentations(Friends, Family
and Teachers Invited )
2:00 Poster and Notebook
Preparation
Poster and Notebook
Preparation
Poster and Notebook
Preparation
Poster and Notebook
Preparation
2:30 Camp Ends Camp Ends Camp Ends Camp Ends Camp Ends
The Camp Schedule
Day 1: Ink Analysis by Paper (PC) and High- Performance Liquid Chromatograpy (HPLC)
Objectives:• Gain an understanding of polarity
and IMFs and their role in chromatographic separations
• Investigate various solvents for separations and explain the results
• Analyze ink from a note left at the crime scene using PC and devise a method to determine which pen wrote the note
• Use HPLC to further investigate the inks
http://www.personal.psu.edu/mkm20/111-arson.pdf
Day 2: Soil Analysis by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)
Objectives:• Gain an understanding of the
interactions between matter and light
• Practice wet chemistry skills such as extraction, solution preparation and vacuum filtration
• Use AAS to analyze a mixture with several metals
• Create calibration curves and determine the concentration of Zn, Fe and Cu in soil samples
Fire Site
Team #1 Team #2 Team #3 Team #4 Team #5 ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR CONC./GRAM DATA
Conc. Cu ((µg/mL)/g) 1.179 0.643 0.712 0.689 0.972 COME UP TO THIS COMPUTER AND ENTER IT IN
Conc. Fe ((µg/mL)/g) 2.032 1.298 1.052 1.708 1.135SO EVERYONE CAN SEE IT!!!!!
Conc. Zn ((µg/mL)/g) 0.774 0.772 0.791 0.787 0.805
Suspect #1 Suspect #2 Suspect #3 Suspect #4 Suspect #5
Team #1 Team #2 Team #3 Team #2 Team #6 Team #3 Team #4 Team #4 Team #5 Team #1 Team #5
Conc. Cu ((µg/mL)/g) 0.120 -0.059 0.168 0.176xxxxxxxx 0.701 0.632 -0.042 0.276 0.120 0.649
Conc. Fe ((µg/mL)/g) 0.012 0.757 0.907 0.820xxxxxxxx 1.048 1.399 1.661 0.703 1.812 0.868
Conc. Zn ((µg/mL)/g) 0.000 -0.053 0.210 0.250xxxxxxxx 0.774 0.678 0.253 0.247 0.405 0.624
Blank #1 Blank #2
Team #1 Team #2 Team #3 Team #4 Team #5
Conc. Cu ((µg/mL)/g) 0.120 -0.054 -0.047 -0.084 0.008
Conc. Fe ((µg/mL)/g) 0.005 0.638 0.497 0.657 0.354
Conc. Zn ((µg/mL)/g) 0.000 -0.024 -0.108 -0.078 -0.014
A V E R A G E S
Fire Site Susp.
#1 Susp. #2 Susp. #3 Susp. #4 Susp. #5 Blank #1 Blank #2
Conc. Cu ((µg/mL)/g) 0.839 0.031 0.428 0.666 0.117 0.384 0.006 -0.038
Conc. Fe ((µg/mL)/g) 1.445 0.385 0.559 1.223 1.182 1.340 0.380 0.505
Conc. Zn ((µg/mL)/g) 0.786 -0.027 0.210 0.726 0.250 0.514 -0.044 -0.046
Data Management
Day 3: Accelerant Analysis By Gas Chromatograpy-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
Objectives:• Understand the role of accelerants
in arson crimes• Operate and understand very basic
theory of GC-MS• Prepare samples for headspace
analysis• Use MS data to determine which
accelerant was used to commit the arson crime
• Learn how canines assist investigators and scientists in solving crimes
Sodeman, D. A., Lillard, S. J. “Who set the fire? Determination of arson accelerants by GC-MS in an instrumental methods course”, Journal of Chemical Education, 78, 9, 2001.
Two Very Special GuestsDeputy Dale Dekorte from the Kent County Sheriff Department presented information on the use of accelerants in fires and the partnership between investigators and scientists in solving crimes. Deputy Dekorte and his partner, Ritzey, demonstrated how canines are used to collect evidence at potential arson scenes.
Day 4: DNA Analysis by Gel Electrophoresis
Objectives:• Understand how DNA is
used to identify criminal suspects
• Learn the basic theory of gel-electrophoresis
• Prepare agarose gels and load samples using micro-pipets
• Set-up and operated gel-electrophoresis equipment
• Stain and visualize the developed gels and use the information to select a likely suspect
Day 5: Fingerprint Analysis
Objectives:• Understand the basic
characteristics of fingerprints
• Practice dusting, lifting and analyzing fingerprints
• Match fingerprints to the potential suspects
Planning for the Poster Session included: Obtaining guest access for the campus Wi-Fi Having an old camera for the students to document their
week Setting up a Facebook page to up and download pictures Having laptop computers and a color printer available Purchasing poster boards and other supplies (spray glue,
construction paper, glitter etc.) Setting aside time each day for poster planning and
preparation and conclusion writing
Days 1-5: Poster Preparation
Student Feedback
I liked using the GC-MS and actually getting to click on everything and see what was in it. We talked about it in my chemistry class a couple years ago, the teacher said well you’re not going to be able to use one until you’re in college. But, I actually got to do it and it was a lot of fun.
Apparently there’s a lot more work in forensics than what’s shown on TV.
Parent Feedback
My daughter attended the forensic camp and really enjoyed it. When she researched colleges offering forensic chemistry as a major there were not many to chose from. We were wondering if she would be able to major in something like general chemistry ?
I wanted to thank you for the wonderful learning experience. He really enjoyed learning new skills to solve the problems that were presented, along with making new friends.
Camp Supplies – $2000 Many of the materials purchased specifically for this camp
can be used again in future years. We estimate that costs for next year will be about $600.
Some of the more costly items included gas tight syringes, AAS standards, HPLC solvents, and the purchased DNA kits.
Staff- $4980 Each high school teacher was paid $1890 for 70 hours of
work. Each GRCC student helper was paid $600 for 60 hours of
work.
Camp Costs
Improvements for 2014
• Work to improve the HPLC analysis of the inks
• Provide suspect profiles• Write the scenario as a
newspaper article detailing the crime
The Team
Bernard Liburd, Ph.D. - Grant Co-PI
Julie Henderleiter, Ph.D.- Grant Evaluator, GVSU
Pam Scott – Lab Coordinator
Leah VanHartesveldt - Lab Assistant
Eric Pilko - Rockford H.S. Wayne Bickel -Ottawa
Hills H.S. David Greening and
Yasmine Walton-Durst- GRCC Student Workers
Information including this Power Point Presentation and the Camp Lab Manual with
Supply List can be found at:
http://grcc.edu/physicalscience
More Information
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science
Foundation under Grant Number DUE 1140509.
"Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation."