Mystery!

** The Mystery Page **

** Activity One ** Visit [|Antarctica] and solve a 170 year-old mystery.

**Activity Two** Your simulated visit to the [|Angry Red Planet] goes awry and you must discover the reason why.

**Activity Three** Solve the mystery at the [|River of Venom]

**Activity Four** . What happened to the [|Strange Dead Bird?]

**Activity Five** Criminals loose in the school! Solve the [|Backpack Mystery.]

**Activity Six** I'm glad this isn't [|my neighborhood]! Find out what happened.

**Activity Seven** [|It takes a licken.].........

**Activity Eight** Know where the truth lies. Solve the [|Bones and the Badge] Mystery.

**Activity Nine** **Who's Related by mtDNA?** **A NOVA Online Activity** You will be working as forensic scientists to help solve a long-standing missing persons case. For this activity, you will need the NOVA worksheet entitled, "The Hunt for mtDNA." In addition, you will need the following background information:

Every person carries two types of DNA in his/her cells: nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA. Nuclear DNA is found in the nucleus of all body cells and is a composite of both parents' DNA. In other words, both your parents contributed equally to your nuclear DNA. The DNA found in the mitochondria, however, is different. Most scientists agree that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isi inherited only from the mother. During reproduction, the father's sperm cell, which contains both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, donates only its nuclear DNA to the egg. This means that all a person's mtDNA is inherited only from the mother. Each new generation, therefore, has only the mtDNA from the mother, who has only the mtDNA of her mother, who has only the mtDNA of her mother and.......well, you get the picture. Males, by the way, have the mtDNA of their mothers, but they do not pass it on to their children. Because of this, scientists can examine an individual's mtDNA and determine who is the mother of that person. The mtDNA is located in the matrix of the mitochondrion (the inner chamber) and is responsible for building transfer and ribosomal RNA, which help assemble amino acids into proteins.

Note: mtDNA could be used to confirm that two brothers with the same mother who died in a car crash were related, but could not be used to distinguish their remains from each other in the same way that nuclear DNA could be used. Because mtDNA molecules are present in thousands of copies per cell (compared to nuclear DNA which is present in only two copies per cell), mtDNA is more likely to be found in tissue samples that have been degraded or exposed to the elements than nuclear DNA.

//And now for the mystery..........(from NOVA online)//


 * An anthropologist has found a few human bones at a site in South Africa. Investigators think they might belong to a Nobel Prize-winning dung beetle biologist who disappeared in Africa. Since the bones have been exposed to severe weather for many years, the only DNA that may be salvageable is mtDNA. Investigators have compiled a pedigree chart that lists all the missing person's relatives. But investigators are having problems identifying his maternal relatives. Which of the people in the "Who's Related by mtDNA?" pedigree chart carry the great-great grandmother's mtDNA, and of those, which living relatives would be eligible to donate their mtDNA for comparison? (mtDNA can be retrieved from exhumed remains; however, this is a costly process and can be emotionally difficult for families. When possible, it is always best to retrieve mtDNA from a living relative. mtDNA cannot be retrieved from cremated remains.) The missing person is labeled with a question mark in the pedigree chart.**


 * The people related to the missing person's maternal grandmother -- and who are the candidates for getting mtDNA to compare to that of the missing person -- are connected with heavy lines in the pedigree chart.**

** Don't forget that you can earn extra points by reading books on the extra credit list. I especially recommend "A Wind in the Door" by Madeline L'Engle, a story that takes place in the mitochondria of a young boy. I have copies if you would like to check one out. **
 * 1) **Determine who are candidates for mtDNA testing.**
 * 2) **Are the missing person's children eligible for testing? Why or why not?**
 * 3) **Use a search engine to find a journal article about a real-life investigation in which mtDNA was used.**

**Webquest** **Project**


 * Now that your detective skills are honed to a fine edge, let's dive into [|forensics] [|.]You must choose a career related to forensics and determine its importance to forensic science and criminal justice.**

**Introduction** Welcome future forensics experts. You are about to go on an epic adventure of discovery in the field of forensic science. Your job is to become an expert in a given field of forensics such as bloodstain pattern analysis, DNA evidence, forensic anthropology, etc. You will be using the resources provided both in the library and on this webquest to gather information about the areas of forensics and making a choice as to what type of forensic expert you want to become. Once you have chosen your area of expertise your objective will be to answer the following question:

** How has the area of forensic science that you have chosen to study changed the criminal justice system? **

In order to answer this question you will need to take careful notes, just as a forensic scientist does at a given crime scene. Are you ready? I know you are, so here we go!

**Process**

You will be presenting the results of research in the form of a written report that should include the following information: Read through the webquest so that you understand what you will be doing throughout the process. Check out the general websites on forensics and then look at each of the topics so you can make a well-informed decision about what you want to research. As you begin to gather your resources remember to take notes in your own words (don't plagiarize!) and keep track of what resources you used so you can complete your Works Cited. You are strongly encouraged to use [|Bibme] to create your Works Cited. This [|rubric] will be used to determine your grade for this assignment.
 * a clearly stated introduction that introduces the topic and briefly outlines the contents of your paper
 * a definition of Forensic Science
 * a clear description of the specialty you've chosen to research
 * an example of the specialty currently used in the field of Forensics
 * a conclusion that clearly answers the essential question
 * a Works Cited page containing all resources used, in correct [|MLA formatting.]

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