Students Play 'CSI' In Watsonville Lab On DNA, Forensic Genetics

WATSONVILLE, CA — Don't mess with these freshman students at Mount Madonna School.

Science teacher Lisa Catterall has had her students play detective to solve a fake crime for the past 11 years. They've collected DNA from a crime scene and five suspects, processed the samples and figured out who should be charged with the crime, the school said in a press release.

The lab gives students a chance to let their creativity shine in creating a storyline for the crime, Catterall said in the press release. While a textbook delivers the curriculum, labs give students a new understanding of the material.

“Although it was a hands-on activity, you can’t see DNA, and that makes it hard to understand," said student Sam Kaplan in the release. "Each step we did with our hands had a result on a molecular level that was nearly undetectable to the naked eye.”