This class runs in two periods and they do not do the same lesson on the same day. You are reading the Period 6A-7B calendar, the one with John Carroll bioethics on Mondays.
Ethics of the scene
Do now
Debate whether investigators should be allowed to alter a scene to collect evidence, and defend your view.
- Hand in
- Written CER (3-5 sentences) taking a side on whether investigators should disturb a scene to collect evidence, with a chain-of-custody reference in the reasoning.
- Where
- Submit this on the class form named on this page. The form requires the student's district Microsoft sign-in. The thank-you page is the submission receipt. A physical handoff counts only when the day page names that route. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not count as submitted.
You get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.
If the form offers you a saved draft, choose New draft. If the Assignment box comes up empty, type it exactly: Ethics of the scene
You spot a single fiber on a body, but lifting it will scatter the dust pattern underneath. Do you grab the fiber or leave the pattern intact, and how do you defend that choice?
Debate whether investigators should be allowed to alter a scene to collect evidence, and defend your view.
- • I can connect scene handling to chain-of-custody integrity.
- • I can defend a claim with a reason and an example.
- Name one thing you could learn by picking up an object at a scene, and one thing you could lose by picking it up.
- Why would a court throw out evidence even if everyone agrees the object came from the scene?
- 1Read the prompt: When does collecting evidence cross into destroying it?
- 2List one cost and one benefit of disturbing a scene to gather .
- 3Choose a side: preserve untouched vs. collect aggressively.
- 4Argue your claim in your group with one reason grounded in .
- 5Post a written CER stating your position and one piece of supporting evidence.
What did this day actually feel like?
Ethics of the scene
ETHICS DAY The question today: when does collecting evidence cross the line into destroying it? To get a fiber off a carpet you have to move the carpet. To swab a surface you have to touch it. Every piece of evidence you take changes the scene you took it from.
I argued for collecting aggressively, because evidence you did not collect is evidence you do not have. The other side argued for preserving the scene untouched, because once you have contaminated it you can never go back and the defense will say so. Neither side wins cleanly, which I am starting to notice is true of every Monday question.
Turned in: CER → Claim Evidence Reasoning 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.
No school Monday, so the ethics debate moved. When does collecting evidence cross into destroying it? To lift a fiber you have to move the carpet.
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.
🧭 Everything on this day
PBS Unit 1 is one case, not twenty topics. A woman was found dead at home, and you are the team that has to work out how she died. You get the evidence in pieces, in the order a real investigation would get it, and you are not told the answer at any point.
The case opens. Before you see any evidence you write down your first guess and fold it over, because the only way to check later whether the evidence changed your mind is to have written down what you thought first.
- Activity 1.1.1 A Sketchy Scene
Look this up in myPLTW to check you are in the right place.
What you cannot claim in this case, on any day
- A physiological chart records breathing and heart rate. It does not measure lying, and nothing in this unit produces a deception call.
- Microscopic hair comparison can support consistency or support exclusion. It cannot identify a person.
- A fingerprint pattern class can narrow a field or exclude a person. By itself it cannot name a source, and it never says when or why a finger touched something.
- A scheduled event is not proof that a person was there. Time of death is not established by the early evidence.
- Repeating a measurement reduces random error. It does not remove a calibration offset, a shared bias, contamination, or a weak method.
Where the case record itself lives: the case file, the source packet and the timeline are PLTW materials and are handed out on paper in class. They are not posted here.
Do the work · 80-minute blockfirst 5 min = hook▸
💡 Big idea: How you handle a scene determines whether its evidence can be trusted, because or a broken record makes even genuine evidence inadmissible.
- 0:00Hook: short description of a famous case where scene threw out key evidence
- 0:08Introduce chain-of-custody concept; students define it in their own words
- 0:18Read the ethics prompt; list one cost and one benefit of disturbing a scene
- 0:30Small-group debate: pick a side, argue with one reason grounded in
- 0:52Individual CER writing: position, one piece of evidence, one reasoning sentence
- 1:10Share two CERs; preview Tuesday scene-documentation content
- • Imagine you are the first person on the scene of a suspicious death. What is the first thing you do? If you touch anything before documenting it, you may just have destroyed the best evidence.
- • Today's question is a genuine ethical dilemma that real investigators face: when does collecting evidence cross the line into destroying it?
- • The legal concept of means that every piece of evidence has a paper trail from the moment it is found. Break the chain and a lawyer can throw the evidence out entirely.
- • Your job today is to pick a side and defend it with reasoning. There is no easy answer, and that is the point.
- • is the documented record showing who handled evidence, when, and how, from collection to courtroom.
- • Disturbing a scene without documentation can contaminate or destroy , rendering it inadmissible.
- • Every collection decision involves a tradeoff between preserving context and obtaining a sample.
Unit 1.1 Investigating the Scene: Forensic scene documentation, evidence log, crime-scene sketch, trace evidence, biometric data. · Ethics of the scene
Day 1 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (find it in Clever, Microsoft sign-in), then do the work below.
Do this: In myPLTW, open Lesson 1.1 Investigating the Scene and go to Activity 1.1.1 A Sketchy Scene. Read the opening of it so you know the case and the chain-of-custody rules before Tuesday.
Mark Activity 1.1.1 A Sketchy Scene started in myPLTW.
You finished the course launch last week. Today starts Lesson 1.1. The overview reading should be done by the end of this block.
myPLTW progress screenshot showing Activity 1.1.1 A Sketchy Scene started.
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. Submit this on the class form named on this page. The form requires the student's district Microsoft sign-in. The thank-you page is the submission receipt. A physical handoff counts only when the day page names that route. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not count as submitted.
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. · Ethics of the scene
In myPLTW, open Lesson 1.1 Investigating the Scene and go to Activity 1.1.1 A Sketchy Scene. Read the opening of it so you know the case and the chain-of-custody rules before Tuesday.
You finished the course launch last week. Today starts Lesson 1.1. The overview reading should be done by the end of this block.
This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.
🎯 Debate whether investigators should be allowed to alter a scene to collect evidence, and defend your view.
- Read the prompt: When does collecting evidence cross into destroying it?
- List one cost and one benefit of disturbing a scene to gather .
- Choose a side: preserve untouched vs. collect aggressively.
- Argue your claim in your group with one reason grounded in .
- Post a written CER stating your position and one piece of supporting evidence.
CER: Written CER (3-5 sentences) taking a side on whether investigators should disturb a scene to collect evidence, with a chain-of-custody reference in the reasoning.
Submit this on the class form named on this page. The form requires the student's district Microsoft sign-in. The thank-you page is the submission receipt. A physical handoff counts only when the day page names that route. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not count as submitted. 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 |
|---|---|
| Read the prompt: When does collecting evidence cross into destroying it? | _______ |
| List one cost and one benefit of disturbing a scene to gather . | _______ |
| Choose a side: preserve untouched vs. collect aggressively. | _______ |
| Argue your claim in your group with one reason grounded in . | _______ |
| Post a written CER stating your position and one piece of supporting evidence. | _______ |
Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.
- I can connect scene handling to chain-of-custody integrity.
- I can defend a claim with a reason and an example.
- 1Do thisDebate whether investigators should be allowed to alter a scene to collect evidence, and defend your view.
- 2Use this resource
- 3Submit thisCER: Written CER (3-5 sentences) taking a side on whether investigators should disturb a scene to collect evidence, with a chain-of-custody reference in the reasoning.
- 4Submit it here
- 1Open the form. It must say For students at the top: if it says For parents and guardians, press Back and pick I am the student.
- 2If it offers you a saved draft, choose New draft: an old draft brings back the old assignment.
- 3Sign in with your district Microsoft account, not a personal one.
- 4Check the Assignment box says today's assignment from this page, then pick your period and type your student ID, all nine digits.
- 5Attach your file and press Submit. The thank-you page is your receipt.
Submit this on the class form named on this page. The form requires the student's district Microsoft sign-in. The thank-you page is the submission receipt. A physical handoff counts only when the day page names that route. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not count as submitted. 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. › CERTurn it in
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.
and a well-labeled graph turn raw measurements into evidence a scientist can defend.
How you handle a scene determines whether its evidence can be trusted, because or a broken record makes even genuine evidence inadmissible.
A review board sorts scientific evidence, stakeholder needs, possible benefits, possible burdens, and uncertainty before choosing a policy.
- Which statements are scientific evidence?
- Which statements express a value or priority?
- Who receives the benefit and who carries the burden?
Use science to estimate consequences, then state the value judgment and tradeoff that determine the decision.
A review-board model organizes reasoning but does not make one ethical principle automatically outweigh every other principle.
- • Evidence cards map to source-backed findings.
- • Stakeholder cards map to affected people and priorities.
- • The recommendation maps to an explicit tradeoff with a named uncertainty.
Driving question: You spot a single fiber on a body, but lifting it will scatter the dust pattern underneath. Do you grab the fiber or leave the pattern intact, and how do you defend that choice?
What you already know: and a well-labeled graph turn raw measurements into evidence a scientist can defend.
New idea: How you handle a scene determines whether its evidence can be trusted, because or a broken record makes even genuine evidence inadmissible.
Visual or model: F1. F1. A lesson illustration or teaching diagram for Ethics of the scene. Use it with E1-E3; it is a model or context image, not experimental or patient data. What to notice: Use the labels and arrows in F1 to identify the relationship that supports Ethics of the scene.
- Observe or measure the relevant feature in ethics of the scene.
- Organize the observation with a stable evidence ID.
- Apply this rule: Use science to estimate consequences, then state the value judgment and tradeoff that determine the decision.
- Choose the option the evidence supports and state the limit of the conclusion.
Real biomedical example: You spot a single fiber on a body, but lifting it will scatter the dust pattern underneath. Do you grab the fiber or leave the pattern intact, and how do you defend that choice?
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.
A defensible biomedical decision separates scientific evidence from value judgments, identifies who may benefit or be burdened, and states the uncertainty and tradeoffs that remain.
Limit: Scientific evidence can inform the options and likely consequences, but it cannot choose a single value-neutral answer.
Use science to estimate consequences, then state the value judgment and tradeoff that determine the decision.
Limit: A review-board model organizes reasoning but does not make one ethical principle automatically outweigh every other principle.
You can connect scene handling to chain-of-custody integrity.
Limit: E3 defines the classroom product or success criterion. It is not independent scientific evidence and cannot justify a clinical or causal claim.
PLTW-PBT@P67-2026-09-08 · Simulated classroom evidence scenario
Your role: biomedical team member
Decision: Your team must decide what the evidence from ethics of the scene supports before submitting the claim-evidence-reasoning response named on the lesson page.
- • Choose the strongest supported explanation.
- • Choose the next evidence to collect.
- • Hold the decision because the evidence is insufficient.
Response: State one choice, cite at least two evidence IDs, explain the rule that connects them, and add one limitation. Submit it as the claim-evidence-reasoning response.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about ethics of the scene. 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 ethics of the scene supports before submitting the claim-evidence-reasoning response named on the lesson page.
Context: How a scene is handled decides whether anything found there can ever be trusted, because evidence with a broken record is worth nothing in a courtroom.
- • T1: Read the prompt: When does collecting evidence cross into destroying it?
- • T2: List one cost and one benefit of disturbing a scene to gather .
- • T3: Choose a side: preserve untouched vs. collect aggressively.
- • T4: Argue your claim in your group with one reason grounded in .
- • T5: Post a written CER stating your position and one piece of supporting evidence.
- • E1: A defensible biomedical decision separates scientific evidence from value judgments, identifies who may benefit or be burdened, and states the uncertainty and tradeoffs that remain.
- • E2: Use science to estimate consequences, then state the value judgment and tradeoff that determine the decision.
- • E3: You can connect scene handling to chain-of-custody integrity.
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 Ethics of the scene. Use the labels and arrows to identify the decision-relevant relationship. 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 as long as an item truly came from the scene, it counts as evidence no matter how it was collected.. The trap: It does not count unless the handling is documented, because a court has no way to tell real evidence from planted or contaminated evidence except by the record of who touched it and when. No record means no case.
Claim: When investigators seize a phone, they should copy it and search only the copy, even though making a forensic image takes extra time before anyone can look at the data.\nEvidence: Simply turning on a seized phone and swiping through it changes the device. Opening a message marks it as read, and new activity can overwrite deleted files or update timestamps, so the original state of the data is lost the moment someone browses it directly.\nReasoning: For digital evidence to hold up, an investigator has to show the court that what was presented is exactly what was on the device when it was seized, with nothing altered. Creating a verified image first, then searching the copy, keeps the original untouched and documented. If instead someone browses the live phone and changes it, a defense can argue the files were modified or added after seizure, and the judge may throw the evidence out. Copying before searching protects the data so it can actually be used in court.
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: A written claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph on a parallel evidence-integrity case (imaging a seized phone before searching it), modeling the CER format and depth without answering today's scene-disturbance prompt.
- Write one defensible claim.
- Choose specific evidence that supports the claim.
- Explain the scientific rule that connects the evidence to the claim.
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: Post your CER to the discussion board or hand in the written copy before leaving.
- 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 Ethics of the scene. 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: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about ethics of the scene. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
An officer photographs a scene, then picks up a bloody shirt with bare hands and puts it in an unlabeled bag. Give two separate reasons this evidence may be thrown out.
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▸
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. This lesson has more than one, and they cover different skills.
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.
Watch the recorded scene-ethics prompt and post your written CER taking a side on whether disturbing a scene is justified.
John Carroll Philosophy for ChildrenThen submit your CER. Submit this on the class form named on this page. The form requires the student's district Microsoft sign-in. The thank-you page is the submission receipt. A physical handoff counts only when the day page names that route. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not count as submitted.
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 through the one route named under Submit here and confirmed by the form receipt or the named physical handoff. Not in Schoology: that is where the report-card grade appears later.