Description
Are you looking for highly engaging activities to introduce your students to claim evidence reasoning (CER) and scientific explanations? This Forensic Science CER Mystery Bundle includes two complete CSI investigations that guide students through observing crime scenes, analyzing forensic evidence, and writing clear scientific explanations using the CER format.
Students will love stepping into the role of a crime scene investigator as they solve two different cases—each with unique evidence sets, suspects, and challenges.
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What will students do in these CER investigation activities?
In both investigations, students will:
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Observe a detailed crime scene
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Analyze police reports and multiple forensic reports
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Record observations and notes in their investigation journals
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Use evidence to write a complete scientific explanation using the CER format
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Check their work using student-friendly checklists
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Strengthen science literacy, critical thinking, and reasoning skills
One investigation focuses on a sabotaged robot, while the other adds an additional layer of challenge by requiring students to research unfamiliar terms (such as medical terminology or vocabulary like “bovine”) to fully understand the case.
What teachers like you are saying about this claim evidence reasoning activity:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“This was a fantastic way of reviewing CER with my students! They were engaged from the get-go! This year, my students are all about crimes and solving mysteries. This resource allowed them to get into the crime and use their CER skills to determine who might have committed the crime. I kept it open-ended, if they had solid evidence to prove someone’s guilt, then they got the points. I was amazed at how creative they got with the evidence, and how invested they were in solving the crime! Thank you so much for creating this resource, it was amazing!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”My students loved this activity so much! They were so into solving the “crime” that they didn’t even realize the work they were putting in! An excellent way for them to practice CER in little steps and then allow them to put it all together!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”This activity was a great way to work on CER without being too “science-y.” I teach 9th grade instructional biology and this was just the right amount of science and writing. My students lose interest very quickly and solving the mystery kept them guessing. After every piece of evidence, they were trying to figure out how he died. Great resource!”
What’s included in BOTH Forensic CER Investigations?
Each activity includes:
✅ Photo of the crime scene
✅ Police report
✅ List of suspects
✅ Student investigation journal (print + digital)
✅ Language-support sentence starters for CER
✅ Grading rubric
✅ Student self-check checklist
Forensic Reports Included Across Both Cases
Students will work with a variety of forensic evidence types, such as:
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Fingerprint analysis
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Chemical analysis (including drug and alcohol levels)
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Footprint analysis
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Fabric analysis
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Blood analysis
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DNA reports
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Autopsy report (case 2)
Each case provides a unique mix of forensic clues so students get repeated CER practice without repeating the same activity.
Perfect for:
✔ Introducing CER
✔ Practicing scientific explanations
✔ Critical thinking and problem-solving activities
✔ Sub plans, science stations, or end-of-unit challenges
✔ Any middle school science classroom needing engaging, ready-to-use lessons
