Blog 27: Self Reflection

1. Positive Statement

• What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

The part that I am most proud of in my 2-hour presentation was how I made my audience engaged with my senior project especially since it has a negative, gross perspective within the media. By making the students really excited for my senior project to continue going on and providing them with hands-on tools, 3D models of human skeletal systems, as well as animal bones to be able to have the application of the sciences that a Forensic Anthropologist is accounted for makes me really proud. Not only that, but because many students were so into my project that the passage of time for a break suggested how the interest of the students was extremely high and I was provided with a lot of positive body language feedback and I have suggested that they all had a fun and amazing educational experience. The fact that my sisters told me that they were jealous of my presentation because I did better than them is so hear-warming considering they excelled within the project.

 On the other hand, on my senior project I was mostly proud of my entire second independent component working with the cranial reconstruction and 3D-ID software programs to recreate the vision and simulation and:

• Determine if the skeletal remains are in fact of forensic significance based on the presence of trauma. 
• Determine the horizontal excavation layer in which the remains were found in order to determine the possible time of death 
• Match a weapon or natural component that was left as a striation of the remains because of the fact that DNA or lethal vectors need to match to an object used to succeed in the cause of death and match trauma-mortem.

Refer to http://jaimeseniorproject.blogspot.com/2012/04/blog-24-independent-component-2.html for a novel-length detailed analysis.

2. Questions to Consider

• A. What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

The assessment I would give myself on my 2-hour presentation would be an AE because I not only met the requirements, but I also included extra things into my presentation like changing into a clothes to make it seem like a professional explaining the answers throughout the presentation, show real life examples of my answers, directly apply the pedagogy of what I have explained in my presentation, and a side guessing game to encourage the students to use their sensory details to determine if they can figure out if a bone is of forensic importance based on the presence of trauma and if it is human, and show that I put a lot of effort into my presentation by knowing exactly what the topic of Forensic Anthropology was truly about.

• B. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

The assessment I would give myself on my overall senior project would be an AE because I have been documenting my senior project with evidence that I have actually been able to directly apply my experience to directly answer my essential question. I have shown a high educational-based senior project topic that has backed me up with export source analysis from professors, Ph.D. credentialed practicing Forensic Anthropologist, and have been able to create the ideal senior project that I-Poly has been waiting for.

3. What worked for you in your senior project?

• I have found service learning at the Forensic Science Academy Club by contacting an alumni who did their project on Forensic Pathology.
• I stayed with .edu/.gov/and .com factual information sites for expert analysis
• I have found high-end credentialed individuals to interview for my senior project
• I have completed and was able to directly apply knowledge from my Intro to Archaeology and Prehistory Independent Component 1 and the 3D-ID Cranial Reconstruction Project for the FSAC.
• I have done exceptionally well in my 5-minute and 20-minute presentations
• I have been a finalist at the I-Poly Science Fair and an Honorable Mention at the LA County Fair in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Documenting everything in my digital portfolio known as a blog by including pictures

4. What didn't work for you in your senior project?
Nothing didn't work for me, I was able to find a solution and was able to be an effective citizen in technology and any opportunities that was able to ensure that my senior project was up-to-date and complete.

5. Finding Value

• How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.

The senior project has been helpful to me in my future endeavors in the way that I have finalized that I will be  obtaining a master's degree in Anthropology with a concentration in biological variation of humans based on geographical location at the University of La Verne. Being more highly competitive and a stellar student in the field of science I will be able to obtain internships and job opportunities that will have expertise that require the establishment and completion of cranial/facial reconstructions, archaeological skeletal remains excavation, as well as hands-on field work experience which I obtained from my education opportunity in Cal Poly Pomona Young Scholar's courses and in the Forensic Science Academy Club Technology Advancement in Forensic Anthropology Workshop.

Blog 26: 2-Hour Presentation

My 2-hour lesson plan using the correct template: Forensic Anthropology 2-Hour Lesson Plan

Blog 22: Answer 3

1. What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.

Answer 1 to my EQ "What is the most important factor of a skeletal remain in a criminal investigation?" is matching a weapon or natural component that was left as a striation of the remains because of the fact that DNA or lethal vectors need to match to an object used to succeed in the cause of death and match trauma mortem.

2. What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

Possible evidence that I have to support this answer includes:

According to Kristina Killgrove PhD of the University of North Carolina, who was my fourth interview due to her experience in the science field of biological anthropology with an emphasis on human osteology. After observing her work tat she has done that has been documented in many  of her cases certain variables must be isolated to match the fracture angle, clusters, rust, and any DNA that can be found, obtained, and then analysed from the weapon. DNA or lethal vectors need to match to an object used in order to succeed in the vectors of finding out the cause of death.

According to Terri Armenta the advisory and head chief of the Forensic Science Academy Club, where I perform my service learning, in cases where facial reconstructions are performed, you can actually begin to acknowledge to entail what the weapon can become; from an individuals chocking hands to a pickax as a blunt force trauma, anything can be possible in a crime.

According to Dr William R. Maples, author of "Dead Men do Tell Tales: The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist" natural components that can leave striations within the bone include animal teeth (including those of humans) He has detailed in cases where carnivorous monkeys feed off of deceased individuals of war as well as observing cases of cannibalism even though they have detrimental effects to the human development of the brain.

3. What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?
Sources that I found my evidence and answer include:

Source from Kristina Killgrove is from her work at the Resource of Archaeology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina. Working in collaboration with the American Board of Physical Anthropologists, Dr Killgrove has created an excellent advancement in the field of anthropology by all of her evidence-heavy lab work that she has worked in over the past fifteen years of her study suggests that a match must be presented in order for the jury or judge of the trial to be fully convinced of the evidence that an individual accused is guilty or not guilty of said charges.

Source from Terri Armenta is a PhD creditworthy forensic scientists who is in charge of the Forensic Science Academy along side with my personal trainer forensic anthropologist Ashlee Enriquez. Dr Armenta can with this conclusion of knowing the range of trauma the weapons can range from in order to understand that any object can be considered lethal and anything can actually in essence, be part of the cause of death in certain situations among mass grave murders and Holocaust cases.

Source Dr William r. Maples PhD in Physical Anthropology with an emphasis in Criminology stated in his book and various interviews during his lifetime. Working in the field for over his entire life, focused on understanding the possibilities of what striations are left in-printed onto the bone struct-ion and be able to come into conclusions of what had occurred. Among finding the angle, the fact that natural resources such as animal decomposition inhibitors play a role, their effect is often overlooked but actually observed in a lab state to know all of the profiling that can be established of the individual.    

Blog 20: Room Creativity

1. How do you plan to address the room creativity expectation?

I plan to exceed the expectations of addressing my 2-hour presentation room. Since my senior project is on Forensic Anthropology, I require to create an atmosphere that will be able to describe a professional laboratory by having posters of the human skeletal system, facial reconstruction posters, a poster that gives the feeling of skeletal remains used in order to compare trauma and markings on a remain used in an investigation. I will also like to make the audience feel part of the forensic science community and by doing that I will be providing name tags in a private-firm manner in order to give the participants the idea that we are all scientists. Finally, I plan on having a long, white, well-lit table with skeletal remains to make it feel as though we are in the forensic anthropological morgue. 

2. What activity ideas do you have for answer 1 or 2?

Answer 1: Determining the horizontal excavation layer in which the remains were found in order to determine the possible time of death.

Activity 1: For this activity I plan on giving each group of forensic scientists a container with different, distinct layer of soil that enclose a miniature model of the skeletal system and will provide them with a guide of discovering what time period the skeletal remains were buried in and the evidence they can use in order to support their findings.

Answer 2: Determining if the skeletal remains are in fact of forensic significance based on the presence of trauma.

Activity 2: For this activity I plan on giving each group synthetic artificial remains and expect what they can conclude from their findings as though they were going to testify in the Criminal Justice Court system. Through their pursue in their scientific findings I will then present to them that the remains are part of a calf, cow, or another type of cattle in order to express how you sometimes assume in the field of forensics that things are often belonged by a human rather than taking an in-depth analysis in the remains.

Blog 19: Answer 2

EQ = What is the most important factor of a skeletal remain in a criminal investigation?

1. What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.

Answer 2 to my EQ "What is the most important factor of a skeletal remain in a criminal investigation?" is determining the horizontal excavation layer in which the remains were found in order to determine the possible time of death.

2. What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

Possible evidence that I have to support this answer includes:

According to Professor Mark Allen, who teaches the course Anthropology - Intro to Archaeology/Prehistory class at Cal Poly Pomona is a practicing archaeologist who stressed the importance of the analysis of what the soil can teach to an individual. In the forensic view, however, it is suggested that the horizontal (sometimes known as the areal excavation) has the purpose to expose a wide view of a single component of the past: a particular time period, which is often done with block excavations. With this, any possible skeletal remains found can be traced back to the time period in which they were initially buried.

According to the forensic anthropologist Helen Wolcott, alumni from the Forensic Science Academy Club, the environment, most importantly the soil it is contained in, plays an important role in a criminal investigation. If it so happens that the soil had a rather low ambient temperature or was often wet, it can throw off the eact numbers of the maximum time since death, which is what Forensic Anthropologists are often trying to determine. With these factors and disheartening environmental factors, biochemistry has its intervention by preserving information waiting to be interpreted for information. 

According to Kathy Reichs, author, professor, producer of Bones, and  practicing elite Forensic Anthropologist held a lecture at Middle Tennessee State University detailing her experiences and knowledge in the field. While briefly talking about the importance of a few details that are engraved within skeletal remains, Ms. Reichs comes to the point of her knowledge and application of archaeology, a sub-unit within Archaeology, within her field of study, she discussed how senior isotopes are a scientific phenomena that acts like a GPS device to the exact location of where he body was buried based on chemical decomposition vectors that are released and collected. With this, sci-fi appealing technologies have been used in the field of forensics that were normally capable of archaeological purpose in order to detect if there is a stress market under the soil; most likely can pin-point an areal view of a figurine that is commonly a set of skeletal remains.

3. What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?

Sources that I found my evidence and answer include:

Professor Mark Allen, who teaches the course Anthropology - Intro to Archaeology/Prehistory class at Cal Poly Pomona and who continues to practice archaeology held a lecture about "3 Goals of Americanist Archaeology and the Archaeological Record." PowerPoints were presented as well as papers were written to ensure that the knowledge has been applied in our present day.

Personal interview with Helen Wolcott at the Forensic Science Academy Club meeting. She was my third interview expert who has a Master's Degree credential in Forensic/Physical Anthropology who helped me answer my essential question and educated me more about her expertise on  her career as a Forensic Anthropologist. Graduated from California State University of Los Angeles with an emphasis on criminology, she has the knowledge and experience to be a credible source.

Kathy Reichs, an elite board member of the American Board of American Anthropology. Being both an expert in her field and being so dedicated to an abundance of scholar articles, experiments, analysis, as well as investigations, Dr. Reichs presents herself as the ideal credible source that knows a wide variety of details in her field of Forensic Anthropology. Lecture video at Middle Tennessee State University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzo2ytDIxPc

Blog 14: Presentation 2 Rough Draft

The link posted is my 20 minute lesson plan for my  presentation on February 16, 2012.

Forensic Anthropology 20 Minute Lesson Plan

Blog 13: Answer 1

Senior Project 2-Hour House Meeting #1

1. What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.

Answer 1 to my EQ "What is the most important factor of a skeletal remain in a criminal investigation?" is determining if the skeletal remains are in fact of forensic significance based on the presence of trauma.  

2. What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

Possible evidence that I have to support this answer includes:

• According to the ANT 203 Anthropology and the Scientific Method Lecturer in the City College of San Francisco Professor Mark Dobbs, MA the shape of a bone will reveal its function and the locomotion of its owner when analyzing if the remains are human or non human. Since approximately 40% of remains that have been reported to be human remains were in fact those of dogs, deer, pigs, cows, horses, and even birds! By determining if it's human and shows evidence of someone's death at a early stage shows that both time and money will be saved.
• According to the forensic anthropologist author of the Bone Detective, Diane France, you can feel the greasy patina and the decomposition chemical of the fatty acids that are leaking out of the cranium that has been caused by biological decomposition when trauma force struct the individual. Knowing this, you can easily differ a modern death with that of a "Crô-Magnon," a couple of thousand year old individual who did not live in our era.
• In October of 2011,when building a post for a freeway system, construction workers pulled up an entire set of skeletal remains from their work station and quickly called authorities to report a crime that has taken place under a freeway. When a forensic anthropologist known as Michael Browning came into the scene he quickly identified the remains as that of a California-native individual who was approximately 1,000-1,500 years old give or take a few years based on the level of preservation and the cubic capacity of the cranium that was much larger than that of a modern human. Also, panther-like bite marks were present all over the cranium as well as in four of the rib cages. With this being said, action to take a full criminal investigation was halted and unattested when there was no forensic significance presence to take a full investigation.

3. What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?

Sources that I found my evidence and answer include:

• ANT 203 Anthropology and the Scientific Method Lecturer recording at the City College of San Francisco Professor Mark Dobbs was my evidence for the first fact that supported my answer. "Anthropology, Forensics and the Scientific Method: Real World Applications" Lecture:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49yx8FEIaPY
• Diane France presentation of her works of her authorship of Bone Detective to the Distinctive Voices of British Columbia, Canada who answered the second fact that supported my answer. "The Bone Detective" Presentation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcnGybzFhjM&feature=related
• The local news report on Forensic Anthropologist, Michael Browning for the Los Angeles Coroner's Office provided me evidence and support as a notable example of the importance of finding forensic significance in any skeletal remain report. "Public asked to help ID skeletal remains found near Morton" News report:  http://www.king5.com/news/Skeletal-remains-found-near-Morton-132162938.html  

Blog 4: Presentation Reflection

1.  In what way did the first interview affect your presentation?  Please explain, be specific and use an example.

My interview with Ashlee Enriquez was very inspiring and informational because she shows a great passion in forensic science. Since I was a relatively young Forensic Science Academy Club member, she was open to help me succeed in any means necessary and by forwarding me useful information on forensic anthropology as well as inspiring me to pursue my career. It's not everyday where you see a high school senior who has career path that has been developed four years ago! During my interview Ms. Enriquez stressed the importance of how my career is both interesting and demanded in the field of criminal justice, and emphasized how signs of bone healing can really help in cases. Her suggestion molded the topic of my five minute presentation especially with her intriguing experiences with a professional forensic anthropologist in the Forensic Science Academy. 

2.  What you say stood out about your presentation performance and why?

I believe that the "plain English" scientific explanation of the reactive, repairing, and remodeling phases in the bone healing stood out about my presentation performance because everyone seemed to be really interested and fascinated about the fact that the bones have the ability to regenerate and heal itself from such horrible accidents. Their reactions of, "Wow! Dang! Ouch!" really brought their attention and made the presentation enjoyable and successful.

3.  What was the most challenging to do and why?

The most challenging part of my presentation was being able to fit all the information on the steps bone heals, the reason it does so, as well as how it connects to my senior presentation in such a short amount of time. Although I  ended up explaining the basic points on the topic, I feel that I freaked out knowing I had less than one minute to wrap my presentation up without having the ability to thoroughly explain how I will be applying my five minute presentation to further my research and guide my way through my senior presentation.

Blog 3: Presentation 1

Objective: The objective of my five minute presentation is to teach students about the importance of bone remodeling. Since bone striations are vital in investigations, I will make sure the class will develop a better understanding of why these little details are important for forensic anthropologists.


Procedure (Steps 1-8): The procedure I will undergo in my five minute presentation is as follows:

1.) I will begin my presentation by asking everyone in the classroom to raise their hands if they had every broken a bone in their body and the age this occurred.  Many people have experienced having a broken bone at least one time in their life, so this question will not be difficult to answer.

2.) Once a good portion of the class raise their hands, I will randomly select on three of my peers to share their answer with the class.

3.) After the class has participated in my presentation, I will share out my personal answer to the question and proceed with the name of my senior project, followed by a brief explanation of what it is, and the importance these small medical details are crucial for forensic anthropologists.


Check for Understanding: 

4.) To check for understanding during my presentation I will present two possible examples of X-Rays and photographed bones that clearly show that skeletal remains show signs of bone repair. I will then randomly ask two to three people to tell me what they have observed through the presented visuals.

5.) When those students have answered my question, I will clearly and concisely explain what the body is undergoing when it is healing from a bone fracture. This will give my classmates a better understanding of why these types of medical records are important to know when undergoing an investigation involving skeletal remains.


Resources/Materials:


6.) As a visual for my presentation, I will be using a poster board that will be comparing never fractured bones in the arm or leg with those similar bones that have expressed the ossification process along with the gradual healing evidence in X-Rays. I will also be passing down handouts with clearly-marked annotations that are going to be similar to the poster-sized explanations to make my peers have a better, closer look at the photos.

7.) I will begin the closing of my presentation by asking two to three of my peers what they have learned that they thought was neat and insightful, in order to make sure they have been paying attention during my presentation and understood the material.

8.) Finally, I will ask the class if they had any questions that they have been concerned or were confused about and then I will be concluding my presentation.