Bear Forensics Adventure

Printable requirements for the Bear Forensics Adventure

Checkoff sheet to keep track of your den’s progress on the Bear Forensics Adventure

Printable check off sheet for the Bear Badge

Bear Forensics Requirement 2: Fun with Fingerprints

Analyze your fingerprints.

Fingerprints are unique marks left by the tiny ridges on our fingers. In the Bear Forensics Adventure, Bear Cub Scouts learn to analyze fingerprints to understand how they can help solve crimes. Here are some fun activities for Scouts to explore fingerprints:

• Fingerprint Art: Scouts ink their fingers and press them onto paper to see the patterns. They can turn these prints into art by drawing faces or scenes around them.
• Matching Game: Collect fingerprints from each Scout on cards. Mix them up and challenge Scouts to match the prints to the right person.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Forensics Adventure requirement 2:

• Are You There?
  • Cub Scouts discover that even if they can’t see their fingerprint with their naked eye, they are still there.
  • Supplies: white paper, magnetic powder, magnetic applicator, magnifying glass
  • indoor, low energy, more than a week prep
• Fingerprint Fun
  • Cub Scouts learn the different patterns in fingerprints and analyze their own fingerprints.
  • Supplies: Fingerprint Card, Fingerprint Patterns, 2 pads dark ink, baby wipes, magnifying glass, scratch paper
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 day prep

These activities help Scouts learn about the details of fingerprints in a fun and interactive way.

Bear Forensics Requirement 3: Tracking with Shoe Imprints

Make a shoe imprint.

Shoe imprints can tell a lot about where someone has been. In the Bear Forensics Adventure, Bear Cub Scouts make shoe imprints to learn how they can help solve crimes by showing the path someone took. Here are some creative activities to help Scouts understand the importance of shoe imprints:

• Imprint Relay: Set up a sandbox or mud pit where Scouts can make shoe imprints. Have teams race to match a set of imprints to the correct Scout’s shoes.
• Mystery Trail: Create a trail of shoe imprints leading to a “clue” hidden somewhere. Scouts follow the imprints to find the clue and solve a mystery.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Forensics Adventure requirement 3:

• Gumshoe
  • Cub Scout investigate how their shoe can leave a print.
  • Supplies: construction paper, sidewalk chalk, baby wipes
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Heavy Shoes
  • Cub Scout make a shoe impression.
  • Supplies: shoe boxes, Plaster of Paris in a sturdy bag, water, hairspray, wood craft sticks, toothpicks, small trowel or spade, paint brushes, toothbrushes, bubble wrap
  • indoor, low energy, more than a week prep
  • Read more about making Plaster of Paris prints
• Muddy Shoe
  • Cub Scout investigate how their shoe can leave a print in the dirt.
  • Supplies: muddy outdoor area, ruler
  • outdoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep

These activities not only make learning about shoe imprints fun but also teach Scouts how detectives use these prints to follow someone’s trail in real investigations.

Bear Forensics Requirement 4: Discovering Substances

Do an analysis of four different substances: salt, sugar, baking soda and cornstarch.

Analyzing different substances helps Bear Cub Scouts understand how scientists identify materials in forensics. For this requirement, Scouts examine salt, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch to learn their unique properties. Here are some engaging activities for this exploration:

• Microscope Discovery: If available, use a microscope to look at each substance up close. Scouts can draw what they see and compare the shapes and sizes of the crystals or grains.
• Dissolving Race: Scouts predict which substance will dissolve fastest in water. They test their predictions by stirring equal amounts of each into separate cups of water and timing how long they take to dissolve.

Here is an option for fulfilling Bear Forensics Adventure requirement 4:

• In the Kitchen
  • Cub Scouts learn how to test for various substances.
  • Supplies: Substance Observations worksheet, pencils, black laminated paper, magnifying glasses, eye droppers, toothpicks, salt, sugar, baking soda, cornstarch, water, vinegar
  • indoor, low energy, 3 to 5 days prep

These activities make learning about different substances interactive and educational, teaching Scouts to observe and record scientific data like real forensic experts.

Bear Forensics Requirement 5: Chromatography

Learn about chromatography and how it is used in solving crimes.

Chromatography is a way to separate mixtures and see what they are made of. It’s used by scientists and detectives to help solve crimes by analyzing substances found at crime scenes. In the Bear Forensics Adventure, Bear Cub Scouts learn about this fascinating technique. Here are some activities to help them understand how chromatography works:

• Colorful Mystery: Use non-permanent markers to draw dots on filter paper. Scouts drop water onto the paper and watch the colors spread and separate. They can guess which colors were used to make each marker.
• Ink Analysis: Compare black markers from different brands by drawing dots as above and dropping water on them. This shows Scouts how each brand’s ink separates into different colors.
• Crime Scene Challenge: Create a scenario where a note left at a crime scene can be analyzed. Scouts use chromatography to figure out which marker was used to write the note, helping them ‘solve’ the crime.
• Secret Messages: Scouts write secret messages with different inks. Other Scouts use chromatography to reveal the hidden colors and decipher messages.

Here is an option for fulfilling Bear Forensics Adventure requirement 5:

• What Color Is It?
  • Cub Scout learn that not all chemicals are what they appear to be.
  • Supplies: coffee filters, ruler, scissors, assorted markers, pencil, water, paper plates
  • indoor, low energy, 3 to 5 days prep

These activities make learning about chromatography fun and show Scouts how it’s used in real-world forensics.

Bear Forensics Requirement 6: Evidence Collection

Find out how officers collect evidence.

Understanding how officers collect evidence is crucial in solving crimes. Bear Cub Scouts learn this skill in the Bear Forensics Adventure by exploring different methods used by law enforcement to gather and preserve evidence. Here are some engaging activities to illustrate these methods:

• Mock Crime Scene: Set up a simulated crime scene and let Scouts act as crime scene investigators. Provide them with gloves and bags to collect evidence without contaminating it.
• Fingerprint Lifting: Teach Scouts how to lift fingerprints from different surfaces using cocoa powder and tape. This shows them a common technique used in evidence collection.
• Photography Skills: Show Scouts how to take photos of a crime scene. They should learn to photograph from multiple angles to capture all the details.
• Evidence Log Keeping: Scouts can practice keeping a log of the evidence they collect, noting where it was found and under what conditions, which is critical in real investigations.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Forensics Adventure requirement 6:

• Collect the Evidence
  • Cub Scouts learn how evidence is collected.
  • Supplies: Activity Consent Form
  • requires travel, low energy, more than a week prep

These activities give Scouts a hands-on understanding of the meticulous process involved in collecting evidence, preparing them to think like real forensic experts.

Before any activity, check the SAFE Checklist to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone involved in Scouting America activities should know the Guide to Safe Scouting and other relevant guides or books. Also follow any state or local rules that are more strict than Scouting America rules and guidelines.

Before starting a craft activity, watch the Craft Tips video.

More information

Making Plaster Prints: Make a plaster print using Plaster of Paris. They can print their hand or foot or objects.

The Bear Forensics Adventure is an engaging part of the Bear Cub Scouts program that introduces young Scouts to the exciting world of forensic science. Through this adventure, Scouts learn how different scientific techniques can help solve mysteries and crimes. They start by exploring what forensics is and how it plays a crucial role in law enforcement.

Scouts engage in hands-on activities like analyzing their fingerprints, making shoe imprints, and examining common substances such as salt, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch. Each of these activities is designed to help Scouts understand the unique properties of these substances and how they can be identified.

They also learn about chromatography, a method used to separate mixtures and identify their components. This process shows Scouts how detectives and scientists analyze substances found at crime scenes. Furthermore, Scouts discover how officers carefully collect and preserve evidence to ensure it remains useful in solving crimes.

Overall, the Bear Forensics Adventure not only teaches Bear Cub Scouts about the fundamentals of forensic science but also helps them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s a practical and fun way for Scouts to apply science in real-world scenarios, enhancing their curiosity and understanding of the world.