Forensic Science

CTE TEKS - Implemented 2017-2018, adopted in 2015

Forensic Science course scope and sequence within the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster® summarizes the content to be taught, and one possible order for teaching the units of instruction. A brief description of each unit and the corresponding TEKS are included. This scope and sequence may be adapted or adopted by the local education agency.

Based on the House Bill 5 Foundation High School Program, the Lawyers and Arbitrators program of study within the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster® provides helpful information, including the core courses and career-related electives in high school that will help prepare students for their career goals. This document is designed for students, but can also be used by administrators, counselors, teachers, business and industry representatives, and parents.

Based on the House Bill 5 Foundation High School Program, the Firefighter program of study within the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster® provides helpful information, including the core courses and career-related electives in high school that will help prepare students for their career goals. This document is designed for students, but can also be used by administrators, counselors, teachers, business and industry representatives, and parents.

Based on the House Bill 5 Foundation High School Program, the Corrections Officer program of study within the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster® provides helpful information, including the core courses and career-related electives in high school that will help prepare students for their career goals. This document is designed for students, but can also be used by administrators, counselors, teachers, business and industry representatives, and parents.

In this lesson, students learn the safe way of operating in the forensic science labs. Students will be expected to create lab safety posters as well as complete an MSDS activity for various chemicals.

In this lesson, students learn about various critical steps like obtaining, photographing, and preserving evidence at a crime scene. This lesson also, encourages an understanding of crime scene investigation, that is crucial for the forensic scientist to further analyze the crime and suspect.

Glass fragments located at a crime scene can be essential to determining the identity and sometimes the location of a suspect. However, in all cases, the forensic scientist is required to draw comparison samples and determine the class or category of the glass sample or glass fragment. In this lesson, students will research glass analysis procedures, glass collection and preservation techniques.

Trace evidence examination is often challenged in court for its uncertainty. Nonetheless, characterization of hair and fiber evidence has played an important role in providing investigative leads in many criminal cases. It is not to be replaced in its entirety by DNA analysis, but to be used complimentarily with other disciplines and technology in forensic science. Students will learn about hair and fiber evidence through hair scale lab, hair microscopy lab, and fiber examination lab. Student lab handbook included.

In this lesson, students get an overview of paint elements and the steps involved in forensic paint analysis. The lesson also includes a paint layer determination lab.

Impression evidence found at the crime scene often provides important investigative leads. In addition to defining class characteristics, it can also provide unique, individual characteristics that may lead to a specific source. This lesson is a lab in which students explore footwear impressions. The lab instructions are included, as well as quizzes and rubrics. 

In this lesson, students will participate in a lab experience in taking and comparing fingerprints.

In this lesson, students will learn about the different types of fingerprints and the chemicals used to pick them up at crime scenes. A lab is included. 

This lesson introduces students to forensic serology. Forensic serology is the detection and the classification of various types of human bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Serology can also involve the identification of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, which can not only tell who was present at the scene, but possibly what happened there.

In this lesson, students will experiment with DNA, one of the most valuable tools to verify identities, exclude suspects, and solve crimes. This lesson includes a laboratory experiment.

In this lesson, students will learn about forensic toxicology, the role of the toxicologist, collecting and preserving toxicological evidence, and techniques used to measure toxicology. Students will also conduct a chromatography lab and compute blood alcohol levels.

In some cases, a single bullet or tool mark can reveal many clues that will eventually lead investigators to a suspect. This lesson familiarizes students with firearms/tools marks and its analysis.

This lesson will identify and categorize controlled substances and common drugs, and show how forensic science is used to fight crimes of this type.

This lesson explores the history, legal aspects, and career options within forensic science. It also guides students to identify and illustrate roles, functions, and responsibilities of professionals in the criminal justice system, including crime scene investigators, criminalist, attorneys, and medical examiners.

In this lesson, students will research and create a presentation over the code of ethics and professional practices in the field of forensic science.

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil law making the scientist in the crime laboratory an active participant in the criminal justice system.  An understanding of the origin and development of forensic science is imperative for effective communication in the courtroom. Through this lesson, students will be expected to create a timeline poster of important events in forensic history.

In this lesson, students learn about the role of pathologists and anthropologists in criminal investigations. Students will have the opportunity to research a forensic science related career and create an informational brochure for that career.

In this lesson, students will understand the importance of crime scene evidence and the different divisions who handle evidence from collection to courtroom.

In this lesson, students learn about various critical steps like obtaining, photographing, and preserving evidence at a crime scene. This lesson also, encourages an understanding of crime scene investigation, that is crucial for the forensic scientist to further analyze the crime and suspect.

Glass fragments located at a crime scene can be essential to determining the identity and sometimes the location of a suspect. However, in all cases, the forensic scientist is required to draw comparison samples and determine the class or category of the glass sample or glass fragment. In this lesson, students will research glass analysis procedures, glass collection and preservation techniques.

Trace evidence examination is often challenged in court for its uncertainty. Nonetheless, characterization of hair and fiber evidence has played an important role in providing investigative leads in many criminal cases. It is not to be replaced in its entirety by DNA analysis, but to be used complimentarily with other disciplines and technology in forensic science. Students will learn about hair and fiber evidence through hair scale lab, hair microscopy lab, and fiber examination lab. Student lab handbook included.

Impression evidence found at the crime scene often provides important investigative leads. In addition to defining class characteristics, it can also provide unique, individual characteristics that may lead to a specific source. This lesson is a lab in which students explore footwear impressions. The lab instructions are included, as well as quizzes and rubrics. 

This lesson gives students an introduction to fingerprinting and includes the history and development of fingerprinting.

This lesson introduces students to forensic serology. Forensic serology is the detection and the classification of various types of human bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Serology can also involve the identification of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, which can not only tell who was present at the scene, but possibly what happened there.

Document examination is a well-respected field of scientific study. Crimes such as forgeries and counterfeiting are on the rise. As these increases so does the need for the field of questioned documents. This field allows us to analyze handwriting, forgeries, typescript documents, and counterfeits, which makes it essential to forensic science. This lesson and lab teaches how to identify counterfeit and forged documents.

In some cases, a single bullet or tool mark can reveal many clues that will eventually lead investigators to a suspect. This lesson familiarizes students with firearms/tools marks and its analysis.

In this lesson, students learn to use the scientific method to solve an investigation, including all the steps of the method and an experiment in forensic analysis.

The ability to use scientific methods is a critical skill in problem solving and forensic science. An investigator will use scientific methods to analyze evidence, determine what happened at a crime scene, and to narrow down a suspect pool. Through this lesson, students will use dimensional analysis to complete metric conversions and analyze unknown powders using the scientific method to identify them.

In this lesson, students learn about various critical steps like obtaining, photographing, and preserving evidence at a crime scene. This lesson also, encourages an understanding of crime scene investigation, that is crucial for the forensic scientist to further analyze the crime and suspect.

Glass fragments located at a crime scene can be essential to determining the identity and sometimes the location of a suspect. However, in all cases, the forensic scientist is required to draw comparison samples and determine the class or category of the glass sample or glass fragment. In this lesson, students will research glass analysis procedures, glass collection and preservation techniques.

Trace evidence examination is often challenged in court for its uncertainty. Nonetheless, characterization of hair and fiber evidence has played an important role in providing investigative leads in many criminal cases. It is not to be replaced in its entirety by DNA analysis, but to be used complimentarily with other disciplines and technology in forensic science. Students will learn about hair and fiber evidence through hair scale lab, hair microscopy lab, and fiber examination lab. Student lab handbook included.

In this lesson, students learn how to use a UV light to collect evidence. Students will complete a lab experience to better understand this process.

In this lesson, students get an overview of paint elements and the steps involved in forensic paint analysis. The lesson also includes a paint layer determination lab.

Impression evidence found at the crime scene often provides important investigative leads. In addition to defining class characteristics, it can also provide unique, individual characteristics that may lead to a specific source. This lesson is a lab in which students explore footwear impressions. The lab instructions are included, as well as quizzes and rubrics. 

In this lesson, students will learn about the different types of fingerprints and the chemicals used to pick them up at crime scenes. A lab is included. 

This lesson introduces students to forensic serology. Forensic serology is the detection and the classification of various types of human bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Serology can also involve the identification of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, which can not only tell who was present at the scene, but possibly what happened there.

In this lesson, students will experiment with DNA, one of the most valuable tools to verify identities, exclude suspects, and solve crimes. This lesson includes a laboratory experiment.

Document examination is a well-respected field of scientific study. Crimes such as forgeries and counterfeiting are on the rise. As these increases so does the need for the field of questioned documents. This field allows us to analyze handwriting, forgeries, typescript documents, and counterfeits, which makes it essential to forensic science. This lesson and lab teaches how to identify counterfeit and forged documents.

In some cases, a single bullet or tool mark can reveal many clues that will eventually lead investigators to a suspect. This lesson familiarizes students with firearms/tools marks and its analysis.

This lesson will identify and categorize controlled substances and common drugs, and show how forensic science is used to fight crimes of this type.

In this lesson, students will understand the importance of crime scene evidence and the different divisions who handle evidence from collection to courtroom.

In this lesson, students learn about various critical steps like obtaining, photographing, and preserving evidence at a crime scene. This lesson also, encourages an understanding of crime scene investigation, that is crucial for the forensic scientist to further analyze the crime and suspect.

In this lesson, students get an overview of paint elements and the steps involved in forensic paint analysis. The lesson also includes a paint layer determination lab.

Impression evidence found at the crime scene often provides important investigative leads. In addition to defining class characteristics, it can also provide unique, individual characteristics that may lead to a specific source. This lesson is a lab in which students explore footwear impressions. The lab instructions are included, as well as quizzes and rubrics. 

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

Glass fragments located at a crime scene can be essential to determining the identity and sometimes the location of a suspect. However, in all cases, the forensic scientist is required to draw comparison samples and determine the class or category of the glass sample or glass fragment. In this lesson, students will research glass analysis procedures, glass collection and preservation techniques.

Trace evidence examination is often challenged in court for its uncertainty. Nonetheless, characterization of hair and fiber evidence has played an important role in providing investigative leads in many criminal cases. It is not to be replaced in its entirety by DNA analysis, but to be used complimentarily with other disciplines and technology in forensic science. Students will learn about hair and fiber evidence through hair scale lab, hair microscopy lab, and fiber examination lab. Student lab handbook included.

In this lesson, students learn how to use a UV light to collect evidence. Students will complete a lab experience to better understand this process.

Document examination is a well-respected field of scientific study. Crimes such as forgeries and counterfeiting are on the rise. As these increases so does the need for the field of questioned documents. This field allows us to analyze handwriting, forgeries, typescript documents, and counterfeits, which makes it essential to forensic science. This lesson and lab teaches how to identify counterfeit and forged documents.

This lesson gives students an introduction to fingerprinting and includes the history and development of fingerprinting.

In this lesson, students will learn about the different types of fingerprints and the chemicals used to pick them up at crime scenes. A lab is included. 

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

This lesson introduces students to forensic serology. Forensic serology is the detection and the classification of various types of human bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Serology can also involve the identification of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, which can not only tell who was present at the scene, but possibly what happened there.

In some cases, a single bullet or tool mark can reveal many clues that will eventually lead investigators to a suspect. This lesson familiarizes students with firearms/tools marks and its analysis.

In this lesson, students will learn about forensic toxicology, the role of the toxicologist, collecting and preserving toxicological evidence, and techniques used to measure toxicology. Students will also conduct a chromatography lab and compute blood alcohol levels.

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

This lesson introduces students to forensic serology. Forensic serology is the detection and the classification of various types of human bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Serology can also involve the identification of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, which can not only tell who was present at the scene, but possibly what happened there.

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

Lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here, for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

Lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here, for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

Lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here, for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

Lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here, for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

In this lesson, students will learn about forensic anthropology, excavation, forensic odontology, decomposition, and forensic entomology. Students will conduct a human anthropology lab, forensic odontology lab, and forensic entomology lab.

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.

In this lesson, students will learn about forensic anthropology, excavation, forensic odontology, decomposition, and forensic entomology. Students will conduct a human anthropology lab, forensic odontology lab, and forensic entomology lab.

One or more lesson plans are currently not available. Review the scope and sequence document, TEKS, and available lesson plans, to determine which additional lesson plans to locally develop.

You can download the optional blank lesson plan template provided here, to locally develop a new lesson plan, consistent with the others provided in the Texas CTE Resource Center.

If after developing a new lesson plan, you would like the TEA to consider adding it to the resource library for colleague teachers to also use in the future, attach the lesson plan and any supplemental instructional materials through the form here (https://support.txcte.org/hc/en-us/requests/new), for consideration. If published, we will attribute the materials to you.