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The angry owner of a black four-door sedan reported a hit and run on the corner of Ditmars Blvd in East Elmhurst. He claimed that he parked his car and was walking to the front door of his house when he heard a loud crash. He turned around to see his car smashed by a white SUV and a man fleeing the scene, running down the block. What's more, a couch that was presumably on top of the SUV had flown clear off the roof, over the black car and onto the sidewalk.

When the uniformed officers tried to move the couch the arm broke and several hundred dollars in cash spilled onto the grass!

prelab A
Newton's Laws of Motion

Students experience Newton's laws through a variety of hands-on experiments and activities.

No CSIT Equipment needed

lesson 1
Introduction to mystery and KWHL

Students read email from Officer Barbrady about a strange hit-and-run collision. Included in his email are photos and crime scene sketches. Students make charts outlining what they Know (the Evidence) what they Want to know, How they will use the evidence to answer these questions, and leave space for filling in what they have Learned—they will fill this in at the end of the mystery.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 2
Using math and Newton's laws to solve for speed of car

Using Newton's laws of motion and the measurement of the distance traveled by a projectile (in this case, a couch), students calculate the velocity of the SUV at the time of impact.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 3
3D Model Investigation

Students use Sketch-Up Software to investigate a 3D model of a building from whence the SUV was traveling at the time of the collision.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 4
Using 3D modeling software to draw a house to scale

Students use Sketch-Up modeling software to draw a building.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 5
Security video analysis 1:
Use the speed at impact to solve for height of freefall

Students view a video that shows a tool belt falling to the ground outside the building. Using a Sketch-up 3D model of the building and Vernier Logger Pro software they solve for the height of the freefall based on the speed of the tools at time of impact.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 6
Security video analysis 2:
Use horizontal distance from house to solve for angle of fall

Students use hands-on experimentation and Vernier Logger Pro software to determine the angle from which a bag of tools was dropped.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 7
Fluid spatter investigation

Students use butcher paper and cooking oil to simulate oil splatter angles.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 8
GIS investigation of house and surrounding area

Students use GIS data and information about unsolved robberies to narrow to focus of their investigation to a specific area of Queens.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students:

lesson 9
Preparing evidence for presentation to the jury

Students organize their evidence and summarize their findings in a clear and concise manner so that it can be properly presented to a jury for evaluation.

Equipment provided in CSIT Portable Lab for each pair of students: