After studying evidence, hearing from guest speakers and practicing crime scene photography, students are now learning to document the scene by hand, by creating a detailed sketch of the scene.

This phase of the project requires students to translate what they see into measurable drawing that can later act as a map for evidence collection. The assignment marks one of the first time students have combined creativity, critical thinking, and investigative skills all in one project.

“We looked at the scene, scanned around, and practiced our crime photographs and a rough draft of the sketch,” senior Megan Nguyen said. “We learned to take different angles and use rulers and tents for marking evidence.”

As students worked through the sketching process, they began to realize the importance of precision and observation. Each mark and measurement had to be exact, just as if it were in a real crime scene.

“Detail is important,” Nguyen said. “If you miss the smallest thing, it could affect everything. You have to look at every corner and every piece of evidence carefully because it could mean something. It’s fun, when you start putting the pieces together and realize how it all connects, you feel like a detective.”

Forensic teacher Carol Seng said the purpose of the sketching is to teach students that documentation is just as important as evidence itself. Before the sketches begin, she reminds them to include every essential label, from the north arrow to the evidence key, because each detail contributes to the accuracy of the investigation.

“The sketch is important because it acts like a map for the evidence,” Seng said. “It will accurately place each piece of evidence at the scene in the exact proportions. This sketch can then be used to further the investigation by becoming reference material for the investigator.”

Seng also said that sketching encourages deeper thinking and reflection. Unlike a photograph, a sketch requires time and decision making, which helps students analyze the meaning of each clue in the room.

“When students spend time writing down where everything is placed in the room, they start to come up with theories as to how that piece of evidence got there,” Seng said. “It gives them time to learn about the victim and think about what their life was like at the end.” 

Senior Rachel Abraham said the level of detail in the crime scene has made the lab one of the memorable parts of the class.

“The crime scene she created is really detailed,” Abraham said. “She went above and beyond and it made the whole experience exciting. You can tell she put a lot of thought into every part of it, from the evidence to the backstory, so it actually feels like we’re investigating something real. It makes you want to dig deeper and figure out what really happened.”

Once the sketches are complete, students will begin turning their rough sketches into final, scaled drawings using measurements and triangulation. Seng said this stage will help them prepare for the next step, evidence collection and chain of custody, where either sketches will serve as the official record of the crime scene.

“They’re learning to be observant on a level they’re not used to,” Seng said. “Once the evidence has been placed in the evidence locker and students write their initial crime scene report things start to come together and that is when many of the a-ha moments start to be vocalized.”