CSI: Landon School

Forensic science class turns to 'crime' to see textbook theories in action

The body was lying facedown against the wall of Landon School's rifle range, on an otherwise peaceful campus in Bethesda. A red-ringed bullet hole was on the victim's back, and yellow crime-scene tape cordoned off everyone but the investigators.

Evan Harris flipped the body over. Its front was clean: no exit wound. He reached into the victim's right pants pocket.

"Got something!" he said, pulling out a folded paper note.

"You just stepped on his head," said Brian Martin.

Good thing the head was a bag stuffed with soft polyester filling.

The Landon seniors were playing Sherlock Holmes in their forensic science class. Long the preserve of career prep academies, forensics classes have flourished throughout the country in the past several years.

Science educators praise the courses for drawing together strands of chemistry, biology, physics and more, and they say that the lab work is a practical introduction to solving problems using scientific methods. Teachers can capitalize on the popularity of such TV shows as "CSI" and "Law & Order," which have drawn so much attention to forensics that some lawyers say they've had to change their tactics in court.

In the Washington area, forensics classes seem especially widespread in Montgomery County. In addition to Landon School, county public schools have offered forensics as a high school elective for two years, and the course has proved "very popular," said Kate Harrison, a school system spokeswoman. At least one other private school in Montgomery, Holton-Arms in Bethesda, offers a course.

Prince George's County schools ran a forensics program for middle school students for the first time this summer, and classes are available at several of the county's high schools. Prince William and Arlington counties and Alexandria all offer courses in at least one school. And in Loudoun County and the District, some schools teach it as part of a broader science course.

Forensics helps make science hands-on, educators say.

"It's a great way for teachers to engage students in a problem-solving activity," said Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. He said that submissions to give talks about forensics education at the association's conferences had increased by more than 50 percent since 2006.

At Landon, the year-long course, in its second year, attracted 17 students.