Crime Story – Incursion Y11 Legal Studies and Y9 Critical Thinking and Philosophy
We were very excited to welcome back Luke and Brenda from Crime Story this term, for another fun-filled day of experiential learning for our Year 11 Legal Studies and Year 9 Critical Thinking and Philosophy classes.
Luke and Brenda brought their personal experiences as former detectives turned educators, setting up two crime scenes based upon real cases. Their attention to detail is second to none and students spent a few hours examining evidence including a vast array of garbage, bullets, a cash register, lock boxes, walkie talkies, a wallet, a crowbar, a notepad, a shoe, a glove and even a rat!
It was up to the students to examine the scene and each piece of evidence. They collaborated to undertake further research, interview witnesses and start to make connections before drawing conclusions. Students also learned about forensic evidence, DNA and how to collect fingerprints.They considered the importance of ethics and the need to seek truth through appropriate and fair processes.
During the day students explored the following:
- The role of observation using sense perception
- The impact of memory and bias when gaining knowledge
- How we make assumptions and inferences
- Being aware of our own biases and those of others
- Being aware of misinformation and disinformation
- The difference between information and evidence (inculpatory and exculpatory)
- The importance of open-mindedness and open-ended questioning
The knowledge gained will naturally support students in their current studies, but they also developed lifelong skills which will support them well into the future. We are pleased to have provided our students with stronger critical and creative thinking skills and we thank Crime Story for providing such an authentic and engaging way to learn these.
Please see below for reflections on the day by some of our Year 9 students.
Sarah Thompson, Leader of Innovative and Global Connections
Student Reflections
Eve and Ria
“The incursion proved to be an extremely educational experience that gave us many opportunities to utilise our critical thinking skills. We had the opportunity to observe and infer our own conclusions from a plethora of evidence that was based upon a real murder case. This was a very enjoyable experience, as there were recordings, small safes and papers that we had to unlock and analyse to assist us in uncovering the truth. However, we were put under pressure during the witness interviews, as the witnesses both had different stories and largely contrasting personalities, which proved to be difficult to deal with when trying to answer questions piecing together the case.
The hosts of the incursion had also shown us forensic work, including how they find fingerprints using graphite and a soft brush. They also informed us about how the law estimates the time criminals serve in prison. As a class we were able to see how detective work plays out in the real world, which can help us if we choose to take law related occupations in the future. Overall the incursion was an amazing experience that informed us and gave us first hand experience on the pressure and struggles of working police and detectives.”
Veronica
“The Crime Story incursion was a great experience for us, I know we all enjoyed it and had a lot of fun on the day. We all learned through Brenda and Luke’s experiences as detectives, about how fingerprinting works and about the process of investigating crime scenes. We also improved our critical thinking skills when finding various items and collecting the information, trying to piece different things together and solve the crime.”
Alyssa
“This incursion was a very eye-opening experience which put our critical thinking skills to the test. Going through two crime scenes, we had to piece together the evidence and not let our previous biases affect us. In order to find a solution, we had to work with our groups while maintaining an open mind, questioning our assumptions and considering multiple perspectives. We took photos, inspected items and even learned how to test for fingerprints. There were many connecting pieces of evidence as well as red herrings. Overall, it was a very interesting and fun hands-on experience which taught us how to think in new ways.”
