Forensic Firearms / Ballistics Activity - NO PREP

A fun Ballistics Evidence Activity for your students! Can they use their skills to solve the murder of Dillon Dollar? Your students will search for ballistics evidence at the crime scene and in the homes of three suspects. They will then take the role of a ballistics analyst to compare striation marks between the crime scene bullets and those shot from the suspects’ guns (ten bullets total!). Finally, they use gunshot residue evidence to determine the muzzle distance when Dillon was shot. 

Includes 34 interactive Google Slides! Your students will:

• Drag and drop items to search for evidence
• Copy evidence from the crime scene and suspect slides, and paste it into the Evidence Lab slide.
• Rotate and resize evidence to examine striation marks
• Answer thinking questions as they go
• Solve the case!

Full answer KEY included!

In order to be successful with this activity, your students need to know:

• What types of guns make striations (rifles and handguns, but not shotguns)
• How striations are made on a bullet
• Why striations are unique to each gun
• Be familiar with how compound microscopes work, allowing analysts to compare two bullets / casings at the same time
• A general understanding of muzzle distance determination using gunshot residue patterns

All of these concepts are taught in THIS Google Slides ballistics resource, along with notes for students to complete, and a set of review questions!

Need More for your Ballistics Evidence Unit?

• Teach your students Forensic Ballistics Evidence with this NO PREP resource. Students can complete their ballistics notes independently, or through class lecture - or both! 28 Slides, 5 pages of notes, and 10 question review. 
• Solve a Murder Case! A fun Ballistics Evidence Activity for your students! Can they use their skills to solve the murder of Dillian Dollar? Focuses on bullet striations evidence! 
• Bullet Trajectory Learn and Do! Students learn how to analyze and measure bullet holes to determine the angle of trajectory. Resource includes Google Slides, guided notes, a digital activity and a hands on activity! 
• The Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman Case Study walks students through the gunshot residue evidence presented by the forensic firearm expert and the pathologist at the Zimmerman trial.
• The JFK Cold Case video guide is no-prep, print and go! Perfect for a substitute. The video is an hour long and covers information about the gun, ammunition, trajectory, and autopsy evidence from the Kennedy assassination. Is the JFK assassination the work of a conspiracy? Ballistics experts test fire the gun to find out! 
• Ballistics Review Game: the perfect way to review for this Ballistics Test! A super fun whole-class review game that allows teams to compete against each other with some wacky twists and turns!
• Ballistics Evidence Test: Twenty five multiple choice questions on a self-graded Google Form

BUDLE and SAVE from Science of Curiosity! Complete Forensic Science Units:

• Forensics Tire Impression Evidence Unit: BUNDLE | Distance Learning
• Forensic Science Basics Unit BUNDLE Distance Learning
• Forensics Blood Spatter and Blood Evidence Unit BUNDLE- Notes, Activities, Lab
• Forensic DNA Fingerprinting / DNA Evidence BUNDLE Notes, Activity, Project
• Forensic Science Death Investigation BUNDLE - Autopsy, Decay, Bugs and Bones!

Here are some other fun Forensic Science lessons and activities!

• Forensic Autopsy Report - help your students practice their skills as a Medical Examiner!
• Arson Investigation - NO PREP
• Blood Spatter Lab - Student centered, learn by doing
• Forensic Files Video List - find the perfect Forensic Files video for every topic
• Forensic File Video Guide - FREE
• True Crime Book Project: Increase literacy in your Forensic Science Class!
• Murder In Miniature Forensics Project - students create their own crime scene diorama and then process the scene as an Investigator. Complete with full rubric, PowerPoint and photos of example projects

**Stay Curious!**