Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders learn forensic science
Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders learned about crime scenes from Kassi Straub, a sophomore at Waynesburg University, during a forensic science workshop Thursday morning at the elementary school.
Nathan Traux, a student at Waynesburg University, teaches Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders about fingerprinting during a forensic science workshop Thursday morning at the elementary school.
Hannah Kaczmarczyk, a freshman at Waynesburg University, teaches Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders about fingerprinting during a forensic science workshop Thursday morning at the elementary school.
Rebecca Paul, a junior at Waynesburg University, works with Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders Samantha Presher, left, and Casey Herrod during a forensic science workshop Thursday morning at the elementary school.
Cara Paraska, a junior at Waynesburg University, teaches Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders how to lift fingerprints from a plastic cup during a forensic science workshop Thursday morning at the elementary school.
JEFFERSON – Jefferson-Morgan fourth-graders began their Thursday morning catching a bad guy.
Waynesburg University students majoring in forensic science set up workshops to teach the elementary students about crime scenes and how to develop and lift fingerprints.
“It’s combining their math and science,” said Diana Moskola, a fourth-grade teacher, who has organized the event every year for the past four years. “This has to do with problem-solving and observing, and it’s a great connection for them with the outside world. They love this.”
Moskola, who’s been teaching for 20 years, said last year, the students developed their own footprints from the bottom of their shoes. She said it got pretty messy, so she decided to do fingerprints this year.
Faith Musko, a forensic science instructor at Waynesburg University, brought seven of her students to help with the hourlong workshop. There were four different stations set up in the cafeteria for about 60 children to explore.
Musko started the workshop with a story about a “naughty teacher who’s been stealing the other teachers’ coffee.” The children were then to learn about fingerprinting in order to solve the mystery.
“Are you ready to catch a bad guy?” Musko asked them.
Musko said the workshop is perfect for this age group because they’re just starting to learn about mysteries and crime scenes from television shows, movies and books such as Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
“The students get an atypical education in an arena they don’t usually have a chance to be in,” she said.
She said students were able to take their fingerprints home, which is a good thing for parents to have on hand “in case, God forbid, anything should happen to these kids.”
The workshop also benefits Musko’s students and the university because “doing community service is in our DNA,” she said.
One of the Waynesburg students, Kara Paraska, a junior from Canonsburg, said she enjoys helping out with the activity each year.
“It’s fun to actually apply what we learn and I love working with kids,” she said. “Forensic science is definitely a growing field.”