For my eighth grade project, I had a lot of trouble figuring out what I wanted to do. However, there was one thing that has always interested me. And that one thing was Forensic Science, also known as Criminalistics. I like the science part of the career and it was a career that had a lot to do with DNA and fingerprints.
You can learn all about DNA in the slideshow presentation video. The slideshow and script were made by me (Hannah Auser). I am also the one talking in it.
Everyone has a unique fingerprint. No one knows why everyone has their own fingerprint. However, your fingerprint being unique is a result of your genes and environment. If you’re wondering what a fingerprint is it’s the tiny ridges and on your finger. However these ridges aren’t only on your fingers they are also on your toes, palms, soles, and fingertips. There are also very very rare cases of people being born without fingerprints. It’s tremendously rare, if you are born without fingerprints it means you don’t have the lines or ridges on your fingertip.
At a crime scene, fingerprints can be lifted with a very fine powder. You brush or dump the powder onto the print and dust it off. You can also blow the dust off but either way, you still have to be careful. After you apply the powder and dust it off. You have to lift the print. You lift the print by taking a clear piece of tape and pressing the sticky side against the powdered fingerprint.
Before you are able to lift a print you will need to make one. I suggest taking a glass cup or a super flat surface that is easy to clean and press your finger down to get a good print. If this doesn’t work with getting a good print then you can put lotion on and then press your finger down to get another print. To actually lift one you will need to make this fingerprint powder and follow the directions to do so.
The recipe for the fingerprint powder is ¼ tsp (teaspoon) corn starch. With the corn starch, you will need ¼ tsp (teaspoon) of chalk turned into powder. I made it powder by using a butter knife or a spice grater but if using a spice grater make sure it has the side that looks like really sharp holes. I would use a small one, not a large one. (make sure its the right proportions or it won’t work) you can always double the recipe if you would like more fingerprint powder.
Once you have both the cornstarch and chalk powder you mix them together I would use a small cup with curved edges on the inside so you can get the dust out better. After they are fully mixed then you can finally lift the fingerprint. After you apply the powder and dust it off. You have to lift the print. You lift the print by taking a clear piece of tape and pressing the sticky side against the powdered fingerprint.
Real fingerprint powder consists of many different ingredients. None of the ingredients to real fingerprint powder is cornstarch or chalk. Most black fingerprint powder consists of rosin, black ferric oxide, and lampblack. Others contain inorganic chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, silicon, titanium, and bismuth.
With getting a job in the criminal justice field there are a lot of different jobs you can get. Some of the top jobs are CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Detective, Police Officer, Public Safety Officer, Forensic Scientist, Forensic Science Technician, Criminal Investigator, Private Investigator, Correctional Officer, Criminal Profiler, Crime Prevention Specialist, Fingerprint Technician. These are only a few in the criminal justice field.
With all these different jobs they require a certain amount of knowledge. But one thing you need is a high school diploma. College course requirements may include but are not limited to; Sociology, Political Science, Criminology and Victimology, Ethics in Criminology, Advanced Legal Research, and Criminal Law. These are only a few of the classes you may have to take. To be able to get a job in the Criminal Justice Field you will need to pass a background check. Be a U.S citizen. You may need a bachelor’s degree if not a master’s degree.
I hope you learned something about Forensic Science. I hope you enjoyed learning about DNA in my presentation and fingerprints on this page.