Reviews
Review by: Cindy West, The Curriculum Choice - April 1, 2010
Have we ever had fun with this Science Sleuths mini-unit! My children love a good mystery, so I knew this science-related study would be just up their alley. Written for grades 6-–9, Science Sleuths includes three detailed cases for your children to solve based on clues and evidence that slowly trickle in over the course of a few days time . . .Very good documentation (i.e., crime file) and data pages (i.e., suspect charts) are included in the book! These pages helped my children feel like their crime files were quite realistic. Charts are also included for fingerprint typing, and reading DNA gels. There are even three full-color, pull-out posters included that act as the bulletin board of information relating to each case . . . This works perfectly for the homeschool setting.
Review by: James Cox, Midwest Book Review - February 23, 2010
Science Sleuths: Solving Mysteries Using Scientific Inquiry is a paperback curriculum for gifted forensics students in grades 6–9, presenting three fictional murder cases with evidence, clues, interview and other data, and lab results to be processed by a team of student sleuths who analyze the information logically and scientifically and then write up their formulated hypothesis to determine which suspect should be charged with the crime. Science Sleuths suggests teachers determine whether students should work alone to solve mysteries or in small groups of not more than three. Each mystery can take up to five 40-minute class periods to solve, stimulating students to engage and use their scientific inquiry skills. Science Sleuths is a creative learning operation that integrates and sharpens science and literary abilities while promoting a process experience of cooperative teamwork and communication. Science Sleuths would work well in either a standard education setting such as a middle or high school or an alternative education setting such as home-schooling.