THE FEET CAN MEASURE THE HEIGHT
The bones of the feet can tell a lot about a person. What do feet reveal about a person's height? Forensic anthropologists team up with law enforcers to help solve crimes.
Bones of the feet can reveal an interesting fact about an individual. Let's combine math with forensics to see how.
Aim: To use forensic science techniques to measure the height of a criminal.
Material:
- 1 meter ruler
- Your-self
Steps:
Findings:
Name
|
Foot (cm)
|
Height (cm)
|
| Sapphire | 26 cm | 164 cm |
| Lily | 28 cm | 179 cm |
| Mackenzie O | 22 cm | 145 cm |
15 is the number used by investigators to determine a persons height based on their feet. This is because 15% of a persons height is the length of their foot.
Find out what percentage of your height is your feet. To do this you need to:
Divide the length of each person's foot by his/her height then multiply it by 100.
15 is the number used by investigators to determine a persons height based on their feet. This is because 15% of a persons height is the length of their foot.
Find out what percentage of your height is your feet. To do this you need to:
Divide the length of each person's foot by his/her height then multiply it by 100.
15 is the number used by investigators to determine a persons height based on their feet. This is because 15% of a persons height is the length of their foot.
In groups of 3 you are going to need to use your forensic knowledge to solve a crime. You must use the web page: Barefoot Burglar Evidence
- Determine which of the four suspects is the "Barefooted Burglar"?
- What do you think was the motive for this crime?
- Write the results of your findings and convince a jury of your peers
The Crime
At approximately 7:15 a.m., Friday morning, Mrs. King, the science teacher, thought something was fishy as she walked down the hall and noticed that her door was open. She walked into her classroom and immediately discovered that the small aquarium had been broken and her prized gold fish were gasping in the sink. Beside the broken aquarium were the shattered remains of the pink piggy bank that had been on the shelf above the aquarium. A can of blue paint was spilled on the floor. Footprints of a barefooted burglar led to an open window. Bits of a white powdery substance were found next to the broken, empty, piggy bank. The only other item found was a half-eaten large chunk of chocolate candy.
When the police arrived they immediately began to gather forensic evidence.
Height: 152 cm Alias: Lucky Lady | ||||
| Peg is a librarian known for hanging horseshoes and four leaf clovers in her library. Employees say she is so superstitious she insisted on carpeting in the library instead of laying tiles so she would not step on the cracks. She wraps construction zone tape around open ladders so no one can walk under them. Cola bottles litter her office, which she drinks with chocolate chunks. Her teeth are chipped from knocking the bottles against them. She is always throwing salt over her shoulder for good luck and keeps a salt shaker in her purse. Her alibi is that she was busy closing open umbrellas the morning of the crime. | ||||
Jake the Jock
Height 201 cm
Alias: Armchair Quarterback
Jake the Jock is known for quoting statistics on every sport from boomerang throwing to sled dogging. His neighbors report that he is the neighborhood pitcher for baseball games. Last year a baseball hit him in the mouth and knocked out his front tooth. This has cramped his eating style of chocolate chunks, candied apples, and corn on the cob. His wife claims that on the morning of the crime Jake was rubbing his hands with cornstarch to keep them dry in preparation for an important baseball game.
|
| Lou Lou Height: 160 cm Alias: Sweet Tooth | |
| Lou Lou is so addicted to sugar that she never leaves home without it. She loves to bake sweet things and has an entire pantry full of sugar bins. She claims to have been baking her famous chocolate chunk cookies the morning of the crime (although not a morsel of cookie or chocolate chunk was left when the police arrived.) Lou Lou rarely wears shoes, which often causes her to slip and break things, especially her collection of ceramic pigs. Evidence: | |
- Fingerprints: Sticky, 'swirl' fingerprints were lifted from the aquarium and piggy bank.
- Footprints: The painted footprints were measured and were for 26 cm feet.
- Teeth: The chunk of chocolate candy was collected for examination. It appeared there were teeth imprints.
- White Powder: The white powdery substance by the piggy bank was carefully placed in a plastic bag and taken to the forensic chemist for identification . It had very small grains and when mixed with Iodine it reacted making the colour brown. It did not have a smell.
Name: Dave
Fingerprints: No.
Mouth prints: Has a chipped tooth.
Shoe size: 16
White powder: None found.
Shoe size: 16
White powder: None found.
Name
|
Evidence
|
| Dan | Fingerprints: Whorl Mouthprints: Shoe size: White powder: |
| Peg | Fingerprints: Loop Mouthprints: Shoe size: White powder: |
| Jake | Fingerprints: Whorl Mouthprints: Shoe size: White powder: |
| Lou | Fingerprints: Arch Mouthprints: Shoe size: White powder: |
Findings: ( what did you find. Summarise what you have written in the table above)
Verdict: ( who is the burglar and why)
