Ten Year 5 pupils enjoyed an exciting and educational visit to South Craven School on Thursday 18th May, where they took part in a fascinating forensic science investigation. The event gave the children a fantastic opportunity to see how science can be used to solve real-life problems.
On arrival, the budding detectives were faced with an intriguing mystery – Mr Burns from The Simpsons had been shot! With five possible suspects – Homer, Lisa, Mr Smithers, Grandpa and Barney – it was up to the children to uncover the truth.
Using South Craven's science laboratories, the pupils examined a range of evidence collected from the crime scene, including a handwritten shopping list, fingerprints, soil samples, hair and clothing fibres, and an unidentified chemical found on the footpath. They carried out a series of forensic tests, carefully comparing the evidence with samples from each suspect.
After analysing the results and piecing together the clues, most of the teams agreed that Grandpa was the prime suspect!
The children were fully engaged throughout the day, showing excellent teamwork, curiosity and problem-solving skills. Staff also thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and the event provided a wonderful insight into the exciting world of forensic science. We hope opportunities like this will spark a lifelong interest in STEM subjects and inspire some of our future scientists.
