My Science Box

Getting Ready

1. Day 1 - Set up the crime scene. See Sources section for some great ideas for crimes that can be staged in a classroom and ideas for how to run a forensics unit.
2. Day 2 - Cut adding tape into 1 meter long strips. Set out scissors and meter sticks.
3. Day 3 – Tape out areas for the gels. All students can run their DNA on the same gel, or you can spread them out a little more by having groups of 5 students run their DNA on separate gels. For 5 students to run a gel, tape out a 100 inch (8.33 foot) x 60 inch (5 foot) rectangle. For all students to run their DNA on the same gel, you will need an area that is 100 inches long and wide enough for each student to have a minimum of 1 foot per person. The calculations are easiest if a single base pair DNA piece can travel 99 inches, 2 base pairs travel 98 inches, and so on. If your floor has small floor tiles, you can use those as your markers rather than inches.