Pupils find out whodunnit with the help of science

May 14 2008 by Aaron Boland, Liverpool Daily Post

Pupils find out whodunnit with the help of science

MORE than 70 secondary school pupils from across Merseyside became Crime Scene Investigators yesterday with the help of lecturers.

Liverpool John Moores University devised a special whodunnit crime scene for the 13 and 14 year-olds to test their skills and chemistry knowledge.

Using forensic science techniques, they analysed six samples taken from clothing belonging to six suspects of a fictional crime to establish who committed a theft.

The event has been organised as part of the national Salter’s Festival of Chemistry, which is designed to encourage more young people to consider science as both a subject option and possible career path.

Dr Ian Bradshaw, organiser of the LJMU event, said: “This is a great opportunity for the next generation of potential scientists to see how science affects their daily lives, and have some fun at the same time. They'll get a chance to have a hands-on go with real science, and learn how to solve problems using chemistry.”

Birkenhead High School and Belvedere won two contests.