A3 Scientific detection
Section 1: Standards of scientific evidence
Activity AA3.1 Scientific detectives
- www.forensic.gov.uk
The introduction (in ‘About the FSS’) summarizes the work done by the Forensic Science Service. - http://www.lgcforensics.co.uk/
This website describes the work of LGC Forensics (the site is currently being updated). - www.lbp.police.uk/forensicscience/technique/
This is a sophisticated site giving details of the advanced analytical techniques used in forensic science. The site covers thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. - www.environment-agency.gov.uk
This site describes the work of the Environment Agency, including some of the analytical work done to monitor air, water, and land quality. - www.dwi.gov.uk
This is the website of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which has information and reports for consumers. - www.defra.gov.uk/environment/index.htm
This website from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs gives a government perspective on issues of environmental monitoring. - www.food.gov.uk
The account of ‘Food Surveys’ in the section about ‘Scientific Research’ helps to illustrate the importance of accurate analysis to maintain food quality and safety. - www.tagish.co.uk/tagish/links/localgov.htm
This website has links to all local authority websites. This can help you to find your own local government trading standards site.
Activity AA3.3 How certain are you?
- http://www.npl.co.uk/publications/good_practice/uncert/contents.html
The National Physical Laboratory publishes, as a resource for teachers, a Good Practice Guide to ‘Uncertainty of Measurement’. Part of the guide is available online. See in particular section 9.1 ‘ The measurement - how long is a piece of string?’, which is very relevant to this activity.
Section 2: Monitoring the environment
Activity AA3.8 Quality assessment
- www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety/visits
This website provides guidance on health and safety for educational visits. - www.environment-agency.gov.uk
The original version of the survey is available from the Environment Agency website, together with details of the other factors that they monitor in order to give river sites a General Quality Assessment. See: Water quality>River quality – an overview.
Section 3: Using colour in environmental analysis
Activity AA3.9 Monitoring water quality
- www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety/visits
This website provides guidance on health and safety for educational visits. - www.fieldworklib.org/
The Fieldwork Knowledge Library offers guidance about fieldwork with the information organized either by science subject or by key stage. - http://schools.ceh.ac.uk/
This educational website by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has guides to freshwater pollution in the sections of ‘Basic Topics’ and ‘Advanced Topics’. The advanced page has links to details of indicator organisms.
Activity AA3.10 Colour matching
- www.creative-chemistry.org.uk/activities/urine.htm
The scenario is that a dastardly crime has been committed near the toilets. The villain’s urine and samples from four suspects have been collected. Students have to find out who committed the crime. The website provides a worksheet and full teachers’ and technicians’ notes.
Section 4: Protecting the consumer
Activity AA3.16 Checking up on food colours
- http://eatwell.gov.uk/
The ‘Food labels’ section of the Food Standards Agency’s ‘Eat Well’ website gives accessible information about E numbers and additives. - www.faia.org.uk
The Food Additives and Ingredients Association website features a Spicebox of colour about food colourings. Follow: Why food additives>Categories>More details…for Colours.
Section 5: Forensic investigation
Activity AA3.23 Crime scene investigation
- http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/osmos/os23.htm#
The page with Osmosis No. 23 from Science and Plants for Schools, with more details of the technique for pollen analysis, which was developed by Leighton Dann.
Section 6:Evidence from dna
Activity AA3.25 Detecting differences
- www.ac-creteil.fr/biotechnologies/doc_englishbiomol.htm
This website gives an animated account of the Southern blot technique (the first half is relevant to this activity).
Cover lessons
Activity AA3.31 Sampling procedures
- www.uksport.gov.uk
The UK Sport website has information and news about the UK's anti-doping programme. Follow: Drug-Free Sport>Testing Programme. - www.100percentme.co.uk
The procedure for collecting urine samples for drug testing is outlined in the ‘Testing procedures’ part of the ‘Testing programme’ section of ‘100%ME’ website aimed at athletes.
Activity AA3.32 Evidence from micrographs
- http://pwatlas.mt.umist.ac.uk/internetmicroscope/index.html
A series of SEM images at gradually increasing magnifications can be found in the ‘micrographs’ section of the Internet microscope for schools. - http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/bia/index.html
More stunning biomedical images, and a summary of the techniques used, can be found on this Wellcome Trust site. - www.mos.org/sln/sem/seminfo.html
Details of how an SEM works with images of procedures can be found on this Boston Museum of Science website. - www.sciencephoto.com
There is a large collection of SEM images on the Science Photo Library website.