Prepare for lesson:
- Review Are Fingerprints Inherited Activity Guide
- Ensure that youth have consent to share their fingerprints
- At least one sibling pair participating for fidelity
- At least one unrelated pair in group
- Supplies for small group:
- Paper towel
- Moist towelette
- White printer paper, tracing paper or parchment paper
- Pencils
- Clear tape
- Scissors
- Optional: magnifying glass
During the lesson:
- Ask youth what they know about fingerprints. Specific questions:
- Can people have the same fingerprint?
- What can fingerprints tell us?
- In what jobs would understanding fingerprints be important?
- Share that they’ll be forensic scientists today by studying fingerprints.
- Have youth practice taking reliable fingerprints in their small groups using the steps shared in the activity slide.
- After practicing on each other at least 5 times, have them take fingerprints they’ll be using for their study.
- Ask them to jot down what they observe.
- Does it have a specific pattern?
- What is the same for those who are related? What is different?
- What about for those who are not related? What is the same? What is different?
- Have them note which fingerprints have a loop, whorl, or arch.
- Have the groups share out.
- What would be valuable to know to best study fingerprints?
- What would be valuable to have to best study fingerprints?