Documentation and custody
Do now
Explain forensic documentation steps and chain of custody, then complete the PLTW scene task online.
- Hand in
- Exit ticket: write the four documentation steps in correct sequence and list three required fields in a chain-of-custody record.
- Where
- Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.
You get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.
You have a case with strong physical evidence, but the transfer log has one unsigned line. Why can that single blank line be enough for a judge to throw the whole thing out?
Explain documentation steps and , then complete the PLTW scene task online.
- • I can sequence the steps of documenting a scene.
- • I can describe what a valid chain-of-custody record contains.
- Put these scene steps in the correct order: sketch, collect, photograph, log.
- Name one piece of information a chain-of-custody record must capture at every transfer.
- 1Take notes on the order of scene documentation: photograph, sketch, log, collect.
- 2Define and list what each transfer record must capture.
- 3Review what makes an evidence log admissible vs. compromised.
- 4Complete the PLTW investigating-the-scene online task and evidence-log entry.
- 5Identify the and controls in a controlled collection method.
What did this day actually feel like?
Documentation and custody
The four documentation steps in order: photograph, sketch, log, collect. Photograph first, because the moment you sketch you have already spent time in the room, and the moment you collect you have changed it.
Then chain of custody, which is the record of every person who has touched a piece of evidence from the scene to the courtroom. Every transfer has to capture who, when, and why. If there is a gap, the evidence is compromised, even if nothing actually went wrong. He said the line to remember is that in forensic science the documentation is the evidence.
Turned in: exit ticket → Exit Tickets folder
Fiction. There is no such student. The lessons, labs and dates are the real planned course; the student, the classmates and the conversations are invented.
The same day, drawn.
Photograph, sketch, log, collect. In that order, because every step after the first one changes the room.
MR. MENDOZA
In forensic science, the documentation is the evidence.
Fiction. There is no such student. The lessons, labs and dates are the real planned course; the student, the classmates and the conversations are invented.
🛠 Get unstuck · pick your level
🔑 Today's words · 5
Tap a word in the lesson for a plain meaning and one example. Recycled into next week's Do-Now.
Do the work · 80-minute blockfirst 5 min = hook▸
💡 Big idea: In science documentation is the evidence, because a record that is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence cannot be verified, so no documentation means no case.
- 0:00Review Monday CERs; connect chain-of-custody principle to today's content
- 0:10Teacher-led notes: four-step documentation sequence with examples; what makes a log admissible
- 0:28Practice: fill out a sample evidence-log entry from a scenario card
- 0:42myPLTW: open investigating-the-scene task; complete evidence-log entry online
- 1:02Identify and controls in a described collection method
- 1:10Exit ticket: list the four documentation steps in order from memory
- • If Monday was about the ethics of touching a scene, today is about how to touch it correctly. The order of steps is not arbitrary; it is the difference between evidence that holds up in court and evidence that gets thrown out.
- • Photograph everything before you move it. Sketch the scene with a scale and orientation marker. Log every item with a number and description. Only then do you collect.
- • means every person who touches a piece of evidence signs for it. If a sample goes from the scene to the lab to the analyst, every one of those handoffs needs a dated, signed record.
- • Today you will practice filling out a real evidence log and learn what a judge looks for when deciding whether to admit evidence.
- • The order of scene documentation is photograph first, then sketch with measurements, then log each item, then collect.
- • A chain-of-custody record must capture: who collected the item, date and time, case number, item description, and signatures at every transfer.
- • An evidence log is compromised if any link in the chain is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence.
Unit 1.1 Investigating the Scene: Forensic scene documentation, evidence log, crime-scene sketch, trace evidence, biometric data. · Documentation and custody
Day 2 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (find it in Clever, Microsoft sign-in), then do the work below.
Do this: Open Lesson 1.1 Investigating the Scene in myPLTW and complete the evidence-log entry task in the online activity.
Mark the Lesson 1.1 evidence-log task complete in myPLTW.
You read the overview Monday. By the end of today the myPLTW evidence-log entry for Lesson 1.1 should be finished.
Screenshot of your completed myPLTW Lesson 1.1 evidence-log task.
The official PLTW activity stays inside myPLTW. If myPLTW will not open, use F1 and E1-E3 on this page to complete today's local evidence decision, then make up the official activity when access returns. Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.
Check things off as you work, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible through the submission route shown below.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
Unit 1.1 Investigating the Scene: Forensic scene documentation, evidence log, crime-scene sketch, trace evidence, biometric data. · Documentation and custody
Open Lesson 1.1 Investigating the Scene in myPLTW and complete the evidence-log entry task in the online activity.
You read the overview Monday. By the end of today the myPLTW evidence-log entry for Lesson 1.1 should be finished.
This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.
🎯 Explain documentation steps and , then complete the PLTW scene task online.
- Take notes on the order of scene documentation: photograph, sketch, log, collect.
- Define and list what each transfer record must capture.
- Review what makes an evidence log admissible vs. compromised.
- Complete the PLTW investigating-the-scene online task and evidence-log entry.
- Identify the and controls in a controlled collection method.
Exit ticket: Exit ticket: write the four documentation steps in correct sequence and list three required fields in a chain-of-custody record.
Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not. Use the checklist just below and upload by 11:29 PM for full credit. Absent with an excused absence? You get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.
| Task | Who |
|---|---|
| Take notes on the order of scene documentation: photograph, sketch, log, collect. | _______ |
| Define and list what each transfer record must capture. | _______ |
| Review what makes an evidence log admissible vs. compromised. | _______ |
| Complete the PLTW investigating-the-scene online task and evidence-log entry. | _______ |
| Identify the and controls in a controlled collection method. | _______ |
Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.
- I can sequence the steps of documenting a scene.
- I can describe what a valid chain-of-custody record contains.
- 1Do thisExplain forensic documentation steps and chain of custody, then complete the PLTW scene task online.
- 2Use this resource
- 3Submit thisExit ticket: Exit ticket: write the four documentation steps in correct sequence and list three required fields in a chain-of-custody record.
- 4Submit it here
- 1Open the drop folder.
- 2Sign in with your district Microsoft account, not a personal one.
- 3Upload the file, named Lastname_Firstname__Assignment Title.
- 4Your own upload panel says Uploaded with a green check: that is your receipt.
Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not. Principles of Biomedical Technology (Principles of Biomedical Science) › Unit 1.1 Investigating the Scene: Forensic scene documentation, evidence log, crime-scene sketch, trace evidence, biometric data. › Exit ticketOpen the drop folder
Learn it · deck, reading, 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.
How you handle a scene determines whether its evidence can be trusted, because or a broken record makes even genuine evidence inadmissible.
In science documentation is the evidence, because a record that is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence cannot be verified, so no documentation means no case.
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 E1-E3.
- • Possible explanations map to the decision options.
- • The next question maps to the evidence-based action.
Driving question: You have a case with strong physical evidence, but the transfer log has one unsigned line. Why can that single blank line be enough for a judge to throw the whole thing out?
What you already know: How you handle a scene determines whether its evidence can be trusted, because or a broken record makes even genuine evidence inadmissible.
New idea: In science documentation is the evidence, because a record that is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence cannot be verified, so no documentation means no case.
Visual or model: F1. F1. A lesson illustration or teaching diagram for Documentation and custody. Use it with E1-E3; it is a model or context image, not experimental or patient data. What to notice: Trace the labeled observation or evidence sequence before choosing an explanation.
- Observe or measure the relevant feature in Documentation and custody.
- 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: You have a case with strong physical evidence, but the transfer log has one unsigned line. Why can that single blank line be enough for a judge to throw the whole thing out?
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.
- • : Relating to the use of science to examine evidence and answer questions in legal investigations, such as identifying a person or cause of harm.
- • : Tiny physical materials, such as hair, fibers, or soil, transferred during contact at a scene, used to link people, places, and objects in an investigation.
- • biometric: A measurable physical or behavioral trait, such as a fingerprint, iris pattern, or heart rate, used to identify a person or track health.
- • observation: Information gathered directly through the senses or instruments, recording what actually happens without yet interpreting it.
- • inference: A conclusion drawn by reasoning from evidence and observations rather than from direct, firsthand measurement.
- • : The documented record of who handled a piece of evidence, when, and where, proving it was never lost, swapped, or tampered with.
- • : A reference sample treated like the others but without the variable being tested, giving a baseline to compare experimental results against.
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.
The order of scene documentation is photograph first, then sketch with measurements, then log each item, then collect.
Limit: E1 supplies context or an observation; it does not by itself establish the explanation.
In science documentation is the evidence, because a record that is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence cannot be verified, so no documentation means no case.
Limit: E2 is a teaching statement or comparison and must be checked against the task evidence.
I can sequence the steps of documenting a scene.
Limit: E3 supports only the result or product criterion named here; it cannot justify a broader clinical or causal claim.
PLTW-PBT-2026-09-10 · Simulated classroom evidence scenario
Your role: biomedical investigator
Decision: Your team must decide what the evidence from Documentation and custody supports before submitting the exit response named on the lesson page.
- • Select the option best supported by E1-E3.
- • Select a reasonable alternative and name the evidence it would require.
- • Delay the claim because the evidence does not distinguish the options.
Response: State one choice, cite at least two evidence IDs, explain the rule that connects them, and add one limitation. Submit it as the exit response.
Claim ceiling: The supplied lesson evidence can support an observation, pattern, classroom mechanism, or next-step decision about Documentation and custody. It cannot by itself prove causation, establish a real clinical diagnosis, or justify action outside this classroom task.
Reason for review: Your team must decide what the evidence from Documentation and custody supports before submitting the exit response named on the lesson page.
Context: In work the documentation is the evidence, because an object with no signed, dated, ordered record cannot be defended and the case built on it can void.
- • T1: Take notes on the order of scene documentation: photograph, sketch, log, collect.
- • T2: Define and list what each transfer record must capture.
- • T3: Review what makes an evidence log admissible vs. compromised.
- • T4: Complete the PLTW investigating-the-scene online task and evidence-log entry.
- • T5: Identify the and controls in a controlled collection method.
- • E1: The order of scene documentation is photograph first, then sketch with measurements, then log each item, then collect.
- • E2: In science documentation is the evidence, because a record that is unsigned, undated, or out of sequence cannot be verified, so no documentation means no case.
- • E3: I can sequence the steps of documenting a scene.
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 Documentation and custody. Trace the labeled observation or evidence sequence before choosing an explanation. 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.
- • The solution must address the stated need in Documentation and custody.
- • The decision must be supported by E1-E3.
- • The final product must make the success criteria visible.
- • Complete the work inside the 80-minute block.
- • Use only supplied or teacher-approved materials and evidence.
- • Do not trade , accessibility, or privacy for speed.
- • and evidence quality: must pass before scoring other criteria.
- • User need and effectiveness: highest scored criterion.
- • Time, cost, and ease of use: compare only after and effectiveness pass.
Test evidence: For each option, record the E1-E3 result that supports or fails each criterion. Do not assign a score without a named observation.
- Version or option tested
- Criterion met or missed
- Evidence ID and result
- Revision made
- Reason for the revision
- Need and user
- Criteria and constraints
- Chosen option and evidence
- Test result
- Revision and reason
Students often think Students think you photograph and collect first because that is the real work, and the sketch and log are cleanup you do afterward.. The trap: The order is fixed: photograph, then sketch with measurements, then log each item, then collect, because collecting first moves objects and destroys the untouched record you were supposed to capture. Documentation happens before you disturb anything.
Four documentation steps in order:
1. Photograph the scene
2. Sketch the scene with measurements
3. Log each item
4. Collect each item
Three required chain-of-custody fields:
- Who collected the item
- Date and time of collection
- A signature at every transfer
Why the order matters: photographing and sketching first captures the scene before anything is disturbed, so collection never destroys the record of how the scene looked.
| Order | Documentation step |
|---|---|
| 1 | Photograph |
| 2 | Sketch with measurements |
| 3 | Log each item |
| 4 | Collect |
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: An exit ticket that has the student sequence the scene-documentation steps and list required chain-of-custody record fields, checking recall of the scene task.
- Name the prompt or task.
- Answer it directly with the key evidence.
- Check that the response matches the requested format.
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: Hand in your exit ticket before leaving class. Also complete the online investigating-the-scene task.
- 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.
Tap the speaker to hear a term. Add two of these to your notebook glossary with a definition and an example in your own words.
Pick just 2 or 3 words from today and make them yours: write what each one means in your own words, name the context clue or evidence that helped, then give one example from what you actually did in Documentation and custody. Try your own words first; the glossary is there if you get stuck. This is voluntary and counts as extra credit, so keep it short.
Saved on this device. Show Mr. Mendoza or add these to your notebook glossary to claim the extra credit.
Hand-picked readings and interactives for this lesson, from authoritative open organizations and PLTW's own public course outline.
Check yourself · commit, then reveal▸
Claim ceiling for this check: The supplied lesson evidence can support an observation, pattern, classroom mechanism, or next-step decision about Documentation and custody. It cannot by itself prove causation, establish a real clinical diagnosis, or justify action outside this classroom task.
An evidence log shows an item photographed at 2:15, logged at 2:20, but collected at 2:10. Is this log admissible, and why or why not?
Write an answer and pick a confidence to unlock the key.
Fast retrieval with instant answers, not the commit-then-reveal check above. Try each from memory first: write what you remember about the earlier units, then check yourself here.
Go further and get help▸
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 Exit ticket.
Open the drop folderTurn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.
Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
Khan Academy: using the microscope (Cell biology)- 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.
- SubmittedTurned in the right way, on the class site or handed to Mr. Mendoza in class, and confirmed. Not in Schoology: that is where the report-card grade appears later.