Observation Skills & Crime Scene Investigation

Frances Glessner Lee & The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

This project has been designed to evaluate the ability to:

 Relate observation skills to their use on forensic science.
 Define observation and describe what changes occur in the brain while observing.
 Describe examples of factors influencing eyewitness accounts of events.
 Compare the reliability of eyewitness testimony to what actually happened.
 Distinguish between direct and circumstantial evidence.
 Identify the methods by which a crime scene is documented.
 Describe how evidence from a crime scene is analyzed.

On the required due date, you will be submitting:

 a graphic organizer
 a crime scene analysis
 a PowerPoint presentation (other creative media is also allowed)

Due date:
 The deadline to submit your project is Thursday, 20th October, 2022.
 Online Resources

Link Title
Resource 1 Home is where the corpse is
Resource 2 Murder is her hobby
Resource 3 Go inside the dollhouses
Resource 4 Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
Resource 5 Death in Diorama

Instructions

Task: You will visit different websites to discover the life’s work of Frances Glessner Lee and
how her true crime dioramas have impacted forensics since the 1940’s.

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Graphic Organizer

Part I

Visit the following website and answer the questions that follow: Smithsonian - Frances
Glessner Lee (rb.gy/kmx8cv)
to teach investigators to properly canvass a crime scene
1. Why did Lee create the “nutshells?” to effectively uncover and understand evidence

2. How did Lee discover her passion for forensics? through her brother's friend, George Burgess Magrath

3. Where did the name “nutshells” come from?

The name "nutshells" comes from her will to "find truth in a nutshell".
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Part II

Visit the following website and watch the video about the dioramas. Then answer the
questions. Glessner Video (rb.gy/ixmdjf)

4. How many dioramas are part of Lee’s collection? 19

5. Are the nutshells still used in the training of forensic investigators today? Briefly discuss
why or why not. Yes they are still used today because they are a way to train future investigators to be
Precise and to understand evidence
6. How are the victims portrayed in each of Lee’s dioramas?
The victims were portrayed as lower class or working members of society

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Part III

Visit the following website and scroll down until you see “Go Inside the Dollhouses.” Press the
magnifying glass below each photo to visit each of the 5 rooms displayed and make
observations about each room. Record your observations in the table below. Dollhouse
Dioramas (rb.gy/hhhsxl)

Follow the 7 steps of Crime Scene Investigation. Bear in mind that the scene has already been
secured and the witnesses have been separated so you have 5 steps remaining.

1) How will you scan each scene? Explain why you would scan the scene in that way.
(Refer to the crime scene search resource provided)

2) Record below what you observed in the scene:

There is a dead woman (hunged). One of her shoes is missing the other one is partially on
Attic her foot untied. There are several letters on the floor scattered, the bookcase is open, the
chair is on the floor implying that it was kicked off when the woman was hanged. There
are several other objects on the floor like something that appears to be a vacuum cleaner.
A woman has fallen down the stairs face and head down. A bunch of news
Living Room papers are on the floor and there is a book on the 2 person couch along with a
basket of yarn and the magazine. There are a lot of cigarette butts in the ash
tray beside the sofa and on the table
Hamburg steak, hammer, knife, unread mail, piano, umbrellas, wallet, and an
Parsonage Parlor unmarked calendar.

a bloody hammer, an open window, dead man inside car, table with multiple tools
Garage ignited chimney.

Numerous broken alcohol bottles. An axe out of its designated place.

Woodsman’s Broken chair, plates with food but they're eaten, a butter knife, an open
Shack furnace, a huge hacksaw, victim in a bed, mourning person.

3) One member of your team must sketch the scene. (You may use this resource or an A4
paper)

4) Fill a case report for each crime scene. (already printed)

Crime Scene Analysis

Based on the observations that you made above, write a summary of the events that you
believe revolved around this crime scene and led to the death of the victims portrayed.

Your summary should be at least 200 words. Make sure you include academic vocabulary in
your text.

Refer to the rubric to make sure you meet all the required criteria.
 Reflection
1. What new information have you learned from this project? 
2. How do you feel about this project? What did you most enjoy about it? Why?
3. What was the most difficult part for you? How did you tackle it?
4. Which case did you find most challenging? Why?
5. What did you learn about yourself as you worked on this project?

1. I have learned how to correctly observe a crime scene using the 7 steps of Investigation. We also learned various
different facts about the history of forensics and people that contributed to the teachings we have today.
2. This project was very fun to do. We managed to draw our own conclusions, as there are no actual answers to the
dioramas, using multiple investigation techniques like sketching, writing an autopsy and a case report. The cases
themselves were very fun to investigate because they were very realistic and detailed. Overall this project was very
enjoyable to do with everyone.
3. The most difficult part would be the autopsy because we didn't have an actual victim to perform an autopsy on. We
were just basing it on conclusions drawn from pictures and the crime scene summary.
 Criteria 4 3 2 1
General demonstration of Little or no demonstration
Noticeable demonstration Limited demonstration of
knowledge and application of knowledge and
of knowledge and knowledge and application
Demonstration of scientific skills. application of scientific
application of scientific of scientific skills. Student
of Knowledge Students answers at least skills. Student answers
skills. Student answers all answers at least 50% of
75% of the questions less than 50% of the
the questions correctly. the questions correctly.
correctly. questions correctly.

The content is
The content is
communicated with a The content lacks a logical
communicated clearly and The content is vague.
Clarity of logical progression of ideas sequence of information.
concisely with a logical Some of the information
Content and supporting Includes only one or two
progression of ideas and may not seem to fit.
information. facts about the topic.
supporting information.

Use of Student uses 10 or more Student uses 7 or more Student uses 5 or less Student uses no academic
Academic academic vocabulary academic vocabulary academic vocabulary vocabulary related to the
Vocabulary words related to the topic. words related to the topic. words related to the topic. topic.

The project is
The project is organized in The project is acceptably The project is distractingly
Layout and exceptionally organized in
terms of design, layout, organized though it may messy or very poorly
Organization terms of design, layout,
and neatness. be a bit messy. designed.
and neatness.

The reflection attempts to

The reflection articulates The reflection articulates articulate connections
multiple connections connections between this between this learning
The reflection does not
between this learning learning experience and experience and content
articulate any connection
Reflection experience and content content from other from other courses, past
to other learning or
from other courses, past courses, past learning learning experiences, or
experiences.
learning, life experiences experiences, and/or future personal goals, but the
and/or future goals. goals. connection is vague
and/or unclear.