Students in CHS Principles of Biomedical Science walked into class on August 28 to see an unusual sight: a dead body! Well…kind of. While the corpse was not real, the students were expected to take on the role of a legitimate crime scene investigator to figure out what happened to the “victim.”
Taught by Mrs. Julia Woitkowiak and Mrs. Jennifer Showman, CHS Principles of Biomedical Science offers students foundational information about the medical field and teaches students skills dealing with biology, anatomy, and physiology.“Throughout the course of the year, students gather and analyze evidence from a ‘crime scene’, care for ‘patients’ in a family medical practice, and track down the source of an ‘outbreak’ at a hospital,” Showman said. “Career exploration is an integral part of the course.”
For the entire first semester of the class, students are challenged to investigate a crime scene. They conduct blood tests, DNA tests, and use investigation skills to eventually come to a conclusion about what exactly happened.
“We’re currently investigating the death of a (fake) college student, Anna Garcia,” said senior Principles of Biomedical Science student Finn Lauritzen. “We are figuring out how and why she died by collecting evidence from the scene and doing group investigations.”
The Anna Garcia project, while extremely fun for the students, is incredibly educational and teaches vital skills necessary for the forensics field.
“They are currently learning how to properly collect, document, store, and secure evidence,” said Showman. “They must work as investigative teams to efficiently plan and implement each task.”
Students who take Principles of Biomedical Science leave with a basic understanding of what it is like working in the medical field. Later in the year, students will learn about the spreading of disease, patient records, cancer, and even more.
“I am looking forward to figuring out in the end what happened to Anna and learning more about crime scenes!” junior Gabriella Howley said.
