Forensic evidence table
Open your materials, follow the steps, then turn in your work.
Build a forensic evidence table that maintains a proper chain of custody.
1. Open your materials
Use the materials named in the first step below. Open lesson resources.
2. Start the work
List each piece of evidence in your forensic scenario.
Show all 5 required steps
- List each piece of evidence in your forensic scenario.
- For each item, record who collected it, when, and where.
- Document every transfer of custody with date and handler.
- Note how each item was sealed and stored.
- Flag any gap that could compromise the evidence.
Lost your place? Absent or interrupted? Reopen your evidence list from step 1, make sure each item has collector, date, and place (step 2), then continue documenting each transfer of custody in step 3 before you note sealing and storage in step 4.
Check your work before submitting
- Your table tracks each item's chain of custody.
- You flagged any break that would weaken the evidence.
Before lab work: read the safety rules
- No biological materials handled today; this is a documentation session.
- Keep scenario materials organized and do not share scenario details outside class if they involve simulated sensitive data.
- If any scenario involves simulated human biological material descriptions, treat all information with the same discretion as real patient data.
3. Turn in your work
DueCheck Schoology- Hand in
- Forensic evidence table with each item, collector, date and location of collection, all custody transfers with dates and handlers, storage and sealing method, and flagged documentation gaps.
How to submit and name your file
Use the submission route shown on today's today's page.
In Schoology, open your course and the assignment for this lesson. Attach your file, select Submit, and check that it appears in the submission.
PDF upload helpYou get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.
How this lesson connects
Keep using what you learned last class: Independent research carries the same ethical obligations as professional science because the potential to harm a real person, not the size of the project, is what creates the duty. Today: An unbroken chain of custody makes evidence valid because the documented record of every handler and storage step is the only thing that lets you rule out tampering, so a single gap creates doubt no matter how genuine the sample is.
Optional: listen or watch a unit review▸
Need help? Warm-up, timing, and directions▸
💡 Big idea: An unbroken makes evidence valid because the documented record of every handler and storage step is the only thing that lets you rule out tampering, so a single gap creates doubt no matter how genuine the sample is.
- 0-5 minWarm-up: why would a gap in a make evidence inadmissible?
- 5-20 minList all evidence items in your scenario
- 20-40 minRecord collector, date, location, and storage method for each item
- 40-55 minDocument all transfers with date and handler name
- 55-70 minFlag any gap or missing documentation in the custody record
- 70-80 minExit ticket: describe one gap and its effect on evidence reliability
- • evidence is only as reliable as its documentation.
- • Today you build the table that would make your evidence hold up in court or .
- • Every handoff, every seal, every storage condition gets recorded: no exceptions.
- • Flagging your own gaps now is far better than having them exposed later.
- • Each evidence transfer must be documented with a date, the name of the handler, and the reason for transfer.
- • Sealing and storage conditions are part of the custody record because degradation affects reliability.
- • Any gap in documentation creates reasonable doubt about whether the evidence was altered.
PLTW connection and today's work
Open Problem 7 or 8 in your myPLTW course shell and navigate to the forensic evidence activity, then build a chain-of-custody table for your forensic scenario.
Today's stopping point: The research ethics debate is done; chain-of-custody documentation is an early forensic project milestone, so submit today.
PLTW activity titles identify the course connection. If your account will not open, use the posted materials for today and tell Mr. Mendoza. Do not mark an online activity complete unless you completed it.
Course connection
- Activity 7.1.1 Forensic Autopsy
Use the turn-in directions at the top of this page. Do not create a second submission unless your teacher asks for one.
Show another explanation or a smaller first step
Need help? Choose a starting point
Finish the assigned lab safely before starting extra practice.
Lesson resources: reading, slides, and vocabulary▸
The deck carries the prior idea forward, lets you inspect an analogy, maps the rule to biology, and ends with the same evidence decision and exit ticket used on this page.
Generated from this lesson's canonical data with a red-team citation check.
Independent research carries the same ethical obligations as professional science because the potential to harm a real person, not the size of the project, is what creates the duty.
An unbroken makes evidence valid because the documented record of every handler and storage step is the only thing that lets you rule out tampering, so a single gap creates doubt no matter how genuine the sample is.
A detective board holds observations, possible explanations, and one next question.
- Which notes are direct observations?
- Which notes are explanations?
- What new evidence would separate the explanations?
Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.
Biomedical investigations use controlled procedures and validated measurements, not intuition alone.
- • Board notes map to the signs, results and measurements you recorded.
- • Possible explanations map to the competing biological causes.
- • The next question maps to the test or observation that would separate them.
Driving question: For the evidence in your scenario, can you build a table that would survive a defense attorney asking 'How do you know no one altered this between the scene and this room?'.
What you already know: Independent research carries the same ethical obligations as professional science because the potential to harm a real person, not the size of the project, is what creates the duty.
New idea: An unbroken makes evidence valid because the documented record of every handler and storage step is the only thing that lets you rule out tampering, so a single gap creates doubt no matter how genuine the sample is.
Visual or model: F1. F1. A lesson illustration or teaching diagram for Forensic evidence table. Use it with E1-E3; it is a model or context image, not experimental or patient data. What to notice: Trace the labeled system, test, or design relationship and identify which evidence should trigger revision.
- Observe or measure the relevant feature in evidence table.
- Organize the observation with a stable evidence ID.
- Apply this rule: Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.
- Choose the option the evidence supports and state the limit of the conclusion.
Real biomedical example: For the evidence in your scenario, can you build a table that would survive a defense attorney asking 'How do you know no one altered this between the scene and this room?'.
What the evidence supports: E1-E3 and F1 support the daily take-home when the response meets the stated success criteria.
What it cannot prove: The package does not support claims beyond this lesson's or any real patient diagnosis.
Use it now: Choose one decision option. Cite E1 and E3, then explain how the rule connects the evidence to your choice.
Go further, optional: The source links below are optional enrichment. Every fact required for today's local evidence decision appears in this lesson package.
Biomedical evidence supports a conclusion only to the level allowed by the measurement, comparison, controls, source quality, and uncertainty in the investigation.
Limit: The classroom evidence supports the stated learning decision, not a real clinical diagnosis, causal conclusion, or treatment recommendation.
Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.
Limit: Biomedical investigations use controlled procedures and validated measurements, not intuition alone.
Your table tracks each item's .
Limit: E3 defines the classroom product or success criterion. It is not independent scientific evidence and cannot justify a clinical or causal claim.
PLTW-BFH-2027-05-13 · Simulated classroom evidence scenario
Your role: biomedical design team member
Decision: Your team must decide what the evidence from evidence table supports before submitting the labeled and result claim named on today's page.
- • Even a perfect paper trail cannot prove the item is what it claims, so an independent lab comparison is missing.
- • Record every handler and storage step with a timestamp, and flag any gap where tampering could hide.
- • Accept the item because it is genuine evidence, and treat the missing handoff signature as a formality.
Response: State one choice, cite at least two evidence IDs, explain the rule that connects them, and add one limitation. Submit it as the labeled and result claim.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about evidence table. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
Reason for review: Your team must decide what the evidence from evidence table supports before submitting the labeled and result claim named on today's page.
Context: Evidence is only as trustworthy as its documentation; an unbroken, timestamped record of who held it and how it was stored is what lets anyone rule out tampering after the fact.
- • T1: List each piece of evidence in your scenario.
- • T2: For each item, record who collected it, when, and where.
- • T3: Document every transfer of custody with date and handler.
- • T4: Note how each item was sealed and stored.
- • T5: Flag any gap that could compromise the evidence.
- • E1: Biomedical evidence supports a conclusion only to the level allowed by the measurement, comparison, controls, source quality, and uncertainty in the investigation.
- • E2: Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.
- • E3: Your table tracks each item's .
Measurements: No patient measurement is supplied unless it appears explicitly in E1-E3 or F1. Do not invent a value.
Figure finding: Teaching diagram for evidence table. Trace the labeled system, test, or design relationship and identify which evidence should trigger revision. This is a teaching model, not patient or experimental data.
Uncertainty: This is a composite classroom scenario. Missing history, measurements, or confirmation tests remain unknown and limit the conclusion.
Students often think Students think is just proof the evidence is real, so as long as the item is genuine the paperwork is a formality.. The trap: That is a trap because the record proves the evidence was not altered, not just that it existed. A real sample with a documentation gap is legally as weak as a fake one, because the gap is where tampering could have happened undetected.
My scenario: a swab and a labeled tube collected from a mock scene.
For each item I tracked who collected it, when and where, every transfer, and how it was stored. I flagged one gap where a handler signature was missing.
Reading the table below: Item 1 has a complete record. Item 2 has a flagged gap (no handler recorded for the lab transfer), which I would fix before relying on it.
| Item | Collected by, date, place | Transfers (date, handler) | Storage and seal | Gap flagged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swab A | Tech 1, 5/2, Room 3 | 5/2 to Lab (Tech 2) | Sealed bag, fridge 4 C | None |
| Tube B | Tech 1, 5/2, Room 3 | 5/3 to Lab (no handler logged) | Capped tube, freezer | Yes, missing handler |
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: Completes the forensic evidence table: each item with its collector, collection date and location, every custody transfer with date and handler, the sealing and storage method, and flagged documentation gaps.
- Name the variables and include units.
- Enter observations without changing the raw values.
- Check labels, calculations, and patterns before interpreting the data.
Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
Also due today: Submit your forensic evidence table on Schoology today.
- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning: make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure, the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities. Find it in Clever with your Microsoft sign-in, right next to Schoology.
Classroom documents for this lesson are posted in Schoology. Open Clever, then Schoology, and find each one by the name shown on its card.
Open this when the class reaches this activity and use it to complete the required lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched project by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-7_Forensic-Autopsy/7.1_Forensic-Autopsy; keywords:forensic, autopsy, fetal pig, organ. Score 158. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Open this when the class reaches this activity and use it to complete the required lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched project by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-7_Forensic-Autopsy/7.1_Forensic-Autopsy; keywords:forensic, autopsy, fetal pig, organ. Score 158. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Use this as the classroom resource for project.
Placement rationale
Matched project by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-7_Forensic-Autopsy/7.1_Forensic-Autopsy; keywords:forensic, autopsy, fetal pig, organ. Score 158. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Sign in to Clever with your district Microsoft account to open Schoology or myPLTW. Follow today's posted steps. If myPLTW will not open, use the posted alternative and tell Mr. Mendoza. Turn in your completed work through the Schoology assignment.
Practice: try a question, then check your answer▸
Claim ceiling for this check: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about evidence table. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
Your table shows a swab collected Monday and analyzed Thursday, but no entry for Tuesday or Wednesday. Is this evidence still usable, and what exactly is the problem?
Write an answer and pick a confidence to unlock the key.
Missed class or ready for more?▸
Run this before you touch the bench. It is built from the real lab procedure, so the decisions you make here are the ones you will make with the equipment in your hands.
I can name the procedure's purpose and the evidence I will record. I can state today's specific hazards and the control for each. If this deck does not name them, I ask Mr. Mendoza before I touch anything. My data table is ready before materials are handled.
Finish the checklist before you handle any material.
- • No biological materials handled today; this is a documentation session.
- • Keep scenario materials organized and do not share scenario details outside class if they involve simulated sensitive data.
- • If any scenario involves simulated human biological material descriptions, treat all information with the same discretion as real patient data.
- 1Before materials are handled, identify the purpose, variables or comparison, controls, measurement units, and stop-work condition.
- 2List each piece of evidence in your forensic scenario.
- 3For each item, record who collected it, when, and where.
- 4Document every transfer of custody with date and handler.
- 5Note how each item was sealed and stored.
- 6Flag any gap that could compromise the evidence.
- 7Record each result in the prepared table before interpreting it. Mark missing, repeated, or invalid results truthfully.
- 8Complete the named cleanup and waste route, remove PPE safely, wash hands when required, and confirm the station is ready for the next group.
| Trial or sample ID | Independent condition | Measured result with units | Observation before interpretation | Quality-control note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Before the procedure, predict the result and cite the rule behind the prediction.
After the procedure, compare the result with the prediction and name one limitation or source of uncertainty.
What today's skills lead to. These are real health-science careers this course builds toward. Tap one to see, on the US Department of Labor's O*NET site, what the job actually involves, what it pays, and how fast it is growing.
Today is individual work you can do from home: complete the same target above, then submit your Data table.
Go to Schoology to turn this in. Submit one PDF. Put your first and last name in the document header. Name the file: FirstName LastName - Assignment Title - YYYY-MM-DD.pdf. If you cannot get in, see Mr. Mendoza. Do not skip the work.
Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
NIST Forensic ScienceYou've passed Unit 2, so the optional extra-credit track is open. Complete reserved-unit work from home, including virtual labs, for extra credit. Each item shows its correct submission route.
Open the extra-credit track- CompleteEvery required part of the artifact is present, nothing left blank.
- AccurateThe science and the data are correct and match the evidence.
- Scientific reasoningYou explain your claim with evidence and reasoning (CER), not just an answer.
- Professional communicationClear, organized, labeled, and written the way a clinician or scientist would.
- SubmittedGo to Schoology to turn this in. Submit one PDF. Put your first and last name in the document header. Name the file: FirstName LastName - Assignment Title - YYYY-MM-DD.pdf. If you cannot get in, see Mr. Mendoza. Do not skip the work.
- Error analysis and method · counts doubleName a specific limit of the method and how it moved your result, and compare what you predicted to what happened. "Human error" does not count; say what about the procedure or instrument caused it.
This week
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