WAMS Students Put Science Skills to Use in "CSI" Lab

6th graders at William Annin Middle School spent a week in mid-January putting their science skills to use in a “CSI” lab. Students used knowledge about physical and chemical properties to determine the identity of nine unknown substances, which they then linked to known information on 15 suspects. The culprit had stolen items from the four science classrooms. Many students correctly identified “Muisec” as the criminal, thus restoring peace (and the stolen items) to the 6th-grade rooms.

The CSI culprit, Muisec, was taken from one of the student’s former science projects.

Samples of the culprit’s “blood” and “sweat” were found at the scene of the crime.

Teacher Stephanie Garland performs a flame test on two unknown substances found at the crime scene.

A student performs tests on the substances’ chemical properties by testing them with indicators.

A student determines the substances’ pH by comparing the pH paper to a chart.

The students find the density of the objects left behind by the culprit by determining their volume and mass.