Name _______________________________________________________ Date ___________

Activity: Guilty or Innocent?

Goals:
1. To simulate how DNA profiling can be used to
Universal Product Label
provide evidence related to a crime.
2. To draw conclusions about which suspect was present at the crime scene
based on the comparison of the patterns of bands on bar codes.

Background Information: In courtrooms across the country, a genetic technique

called DNA profiling or DNA fingerprinting is being used to help solve crimes. For
years the fingerprints on the fingers of hands have been used to identify people,
because no two people have the same fingerprints. Detectives routinely use
fingerprints found at a crime scene to help identify the person who committed the
crime. In a similar way, DNA from samples of hair, skin, and blood can also be
used to identify a person. No two people, except for identical twins have the
same DNA.
In DNAprofiling, enzymes are used to cut the DNA in the sample found at
a crime scene into fragments. An electrical current then separates the fragments
by size to form a pattern of bands. Each person’s pattern of bands is unique. The
DNA pattern can then be compared to the pattern produced by DNA taken from
people suspected of committing a crime. (This information is printed from
Science Explorer: Cells & Heredity, page 131.)

Materials: a SUSPECT CARD with a variety of bar codes, a hand lens

Procedure:
1. What I Know: Write two sentences about what you already know about
DNA profiling.

2. Read the following scenario:

On the night of May 14th, Bob Smith of 1253 Park Avenue was found unconscious
behind a large boulder in New York’s Central Park. Police believe that the badly wounded
Smith was the victim of an assault and robbery.
According to Mr. Smith, a champion bodybuilder and personal trainer, he was attacked
by a tall man as he took a shortcut to his home through Central Park. His attacker pulled a
knife and demanded that Smith turn over his jewelry and wallet. Mr. Smith responded by
punching the man in the nose, which bled heavily as a result.
A brawl ensued in which Smith was badly wounded by his knife-wielding assailant.
Several suspects are now in police custody, but because the attack took place in a dimly lit
area of the park Mr. Smith has been unable to identify his attacker.
Police at the crime scene collected blood samples from the walkway, the grass nearby,
and from Mr. Smith’s clothes. The police hope that DNA testing of the blood will reveal the
perpetrator’s identity and lead to an arrest.
3. Examine the 21 suspects’ DNA patterns (Universal Product Code “UPC”
labels on the SUSPECT CARD (handout).
4. Cut out the DNA Evidence pattern (on the last page of this packet) along
the dotted lines. It is the “DNA” fingerprint of the strands of hair found on
the windowsill at the scene of the crime.
5. Compare the DNA Evidence pattern with the 21 suspects’ DNA patterns
found on the SUSPECT CARD to find a possible match.

6. What I Observed: For this section write down the letter of the suspect that
matches with the DNA evidence pattern. If available, glue the matching
suspect DNA in the space provided.

Letter _________

DNA Evidence Pattern Matching Suspect DNA

7. Questions: Answer the following questions in complete statements.

a. Did the suspect commit the burglary? Explain your answer.

b. When would DNA fingerprinting be used in a criminal investigation?

c. Why is the term fingerprinting an appropriate name for this

technique?

d. Explain why Universal Product Code “UPC” labels are a great

simulation for DNA patterns?
8. Technology: To learn more go to:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/science/forensics/
to answer the following questions.

a. If people are blood relatives, is their DNA similar?

b. Is DNA evidence alone enough to acquit or convict?

c. Can DNA evidence exonerate (free from a charge of guilt)

wrongfully convicted prisoners?

9. What I Wonder: Pose a question that you may have concerning DNA
fingerprinting

10. Claim and Evidence Writing Prompts: Use the following prompts to help
you construct your lab conclusion, What I Learned.
 Goal: State the goal of this lesson.
The goal of this lesson is…
 Claim: What did you learn from the activity that satisfies the goal of
this lesson? This is an I Learned statement.
I learned that…
 Evidence: How can you prove from your observations that you
learned what you claim? This can be a general statement that you
will explain in detail in your explanation.
I know this because….
 Explanation: Use specific data from your observations to support
your claim and describe the evidence. Use details to support
your claim.
 Concluding Statement: Reword the goal and either add
information you learned about the topic from your text book, class
discussions, and/ or personal research OR you can extend the
statement by adding a relevant question.
11. What I Learned: Write at least a one paragraph summary of what you
learned from completing this activity. Use the Claims and Evidence Writing
Prompts to help you compose your summary.