Deaf Science Students Take Stab at Solving 'Crimes'

A two-week science camp at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering for K-12 grade children who are deaf or hard of hearing put the young researchers to work gathering forensic evidence to solve a mock "crime" as well as performing environmental studies at the Duke Gardens and other science and engineering activities.

Funded by the National Science Foundation Program for Persons with Disabilities through the Pratt School's Center for Emerging Cardiovascular Technologies, these special "enrichment" activities were organized by Martha Absher, director of outreach for the school, to increase interest in science, engineering and mathematics.

Other participants included Charlene Sorensen, a professor from Gallaudet University, the national university for the deaf, and five deaf college students. Also supervising was Sorensen's assistant Margena Garrett, who specializes in working with younger children.

During the program which ends today, the students learned about lab safety, and studied such crime solving techniques as fingerprint, footprint, hair, fiber, ink, paper and drug analysis. They also were taught water analytical techniques for their environmental studies. A science magic show was staged for younger children as well as "kitchen chemistry" experiments for older ones.

Students "discovered" the made-up "crime" early Monday morning, when they entered the Teer Engineering Library Building, then procceeded to investigate the scene.