“This text is an excellent starting point to open the door to the fascinating world of forensic science. The companion material and the resources with references to excellent web sites add to the opportunities to prepare students for the steps to the next challenging level in forensic science.” Haskell M. Pitluck Retired Circuit Court Judge, and Past President -American Academy of Forensic Sciences “I liked the way the book speaks directly to the students in a clear and professional way. While you don’t minimize the work and skills that students need to be successful in a career in forensics, you do show that it is within their reach, if they are willing to rise to the occasion. The anecdotal stories are clear, brief, and to the point.” Debbie Brewer, Teacher Lumen Christi High School, Anchorage, Alaska

This text is an excellent reference for any forensic science teacher or student. The 28 chapter text is divided into two parts. Part one is twelve chapters of background information on forensic science careers. Part two is sixteen chapters that describe information that can be obtained from different types of physical evidence. The Instructor’s Companion CD includes PowerPoint presentations, sample test questions, student handouts, case profiles, classroom discussion ideas, research projects, student labs, and field trip ideas.

There are a great number of crime scene images within the PowerPoint presentations that are useful for illustrating and emphasizing various concepts in forensic science. Photographs included are of crime scene processing techniques, various types of physical evidence and equipment used in testing evidence. Some of the photographs are of a graphic nature due to the content.

The Instructor’s Companion CD includes many ideas for getting students interested in forensic science and involved in researching and investigating various areas of science. There are very good Internet sites suggested for student research and interactive participation in many of the chapters. The case studies, class discussions and suggestions for field trips and speakers really add depth to the materials covered in the text.

The text has a great deal of information and ideas that would be valuable in any science teachers library. In addition, any teacher would benefit from the pictures in the PowerPoints. They are photos from actual crime scene work that Henry Lee has done. I think the handwriting examples shown in the Questioned Documents chapter are great examples of the different types of comparisons that may be done.

Are you entirely too busy and often feel that it would really be nice to have some help teaching high school Forensic Science? If so, you need to look seriously at the new, second edition of Forensic Science Today. That said, it is important that you not only check out the book, but also the Instructors Companion CD that comes with the teacher’s edition. This is really a curriculum and not just a book.

This program is thoroughly supported with creative activities, labs, quizzes, and items of interest. It is obvious that the support material was developed by someone who knows students. For one thing, the lab activities could all be done in a high school lab without appropriating the entire department budget.

There is a genuine effort to connect with the student- how can she become a forensic scientist, how can she avoid becoming a crime victim, or how would he approach solving this crime? Another example: the pretest in the first chapter is labeled, “fun quiz,” and a student could try to fill it in based on TV programs. This program does not threaten nor insult the student- or the teacher.

PowerPoint files are provided for each chapter; forensic science works particularly well on a screen. The parts of a fingerprint are referenced easily, for example, and a student can see what he is supposed to look for on his microscope slide of a hair. The frames are quite simple in general, but they provide necessary information.

There are lots of tables and flowcharts which break the text into readable sized segments. Happily, there are many case profiles, crimes that were usually solved by Dr. Henry Lee, one of the authors. It is no secret to teachers that stories are motivational. The cases are unambiguously written, almost more like technical than creative writing. The stories contain few pronouns- just the way we ask the students to answer on the standardized state tests!

In short, if you are looking for a new forensic science curriculum, Forensic Science Today deserves a thorough audition. When I compare my old text to FST, new wins.