Uncovering Footprints and Friendships:
A Behind the Scenes Look of GSP’s Forensics Focus Area Class
Written by: Ella Pierce
“How would you describe forensics?” Scholar Abby Hickman describes it as “death, to be honest!” Over the past five weeks, scholars have been challenged to delve into crime through experiments, critical thinking, and data analysis. The forensics instructor, Mary Leigh Lewis, teaches AP biology, AP environmental science, dual credit anatomy and physiology, conceptual physics, and biology at Boyd County High School. It is known that a teacher makes the classroom, and for many scholars, Mary Leigh made all the difference. For student Addison Morgan, she admires Mary Leigh’s spontaneity, stating, “You never know what you’re going to do, and she’s just always on her toes…” Dovie Harless also chimed in with a personal anecdote: “Mary Leigh is from Eastern Kentucky like myself, and her teaching style is very familiar to me; like, it keeps me engaged not knowing what she’s going to do next…” Scholars adore Mary Leigh, her teaching style, and her personality; however, scholars also appreciate the classroom atmosphere.
“What is the community like in here?” Mallie Smith talks about respectful commenting, saying, “Everything we do, we have to talk to each other and be able to express our ideas but then appreciate everyone else’s as well…” Izzy Norvell adds in, “Mary Leigh does a great job making sure we know everyone’s names and make a connection with everybody, like I feel like I could talk to anybody in here…” I believe we can all agree that personal connections make every classroom more enjoyable, especially when we find ourselves in challenging situations with one another.
On to the class projects the whole GSP community has raved about, the forensics focus area scholars have engaged in unique projects that are like a “roadmap to make a point” (Mary Leigh). Throughout the interviews with scholars, their faces lit up as their favorite projects and activities filled the conversation. “What has been your favorite activity and why?” Scholars Logan Dickerson and Emily Twehues provided the answer we all long for. Logan’s favorite activity was the “dead rats, seeing the decomposition…” Laughter erupted as they shared their experience burying rats in the ground with plastic bags, plastic containers, aluminum foil, and other substances to see how each material affected the decomposition. Over time, they reached the rat’s skeleton stage, and many were excited to see how the project turned out. Emily shared her favorite activity, a field trip to an escape room in Paducah, Kentucky! She said, “We split into three groups. I went into one called The Collector. It was serial killer themed, which is fun for the class, and we just spent a whole hour together trying to escape, and it was just a really good bonding experience, and it was cool because in my room there were skulls, and we were wondering how long they had been decomposing for…” If this doesn’t put the chills down your spine, I don’t know what will! Scholars also hinted at an upcoming simulation that their class would put on, solving a murder scene. Eerie, yes, but after practicing and preparing for five weeks, they were more than ready to take the case and solve their upcoming task.
On observation day, specialists from the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory came to the forensics class to give a presentation to the scholars about what real-world forensic science looks like, specifically in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Specialists such as a drug chemist, a toxicologist, and a forensic biologist all shared about their day-to-day jobs in the field. Highlights from this presentation were the shocking facts brought to scholars’ attention, the kits passed around that held items that the specialists might test in labs, the engaging conversations about the career field for interested scholars, and the hands-on lab at the end of class, where students were able to test their DNA through a cotton swab and solution.
Overall, students couldn’t help but express their enthusiasm for this class and their gratitude toward Mary Leigh for the adventures that took place in the classroom each and every day.
