Valley Christian High School  *   100 Skyway Drive, San Jose, CA 95111  *   www.valleychristian.net

CRIME AT VALLEY
Science Department conducts mock crime scene investigation
By Robby Valderrama

Linking the technology, communications, and science departments, this Crime Scene, staged by Mr. Doug Canepa, gave students a chance to experience first-hand exactly what a crime scene investigation consists of. Beginning in December, this experiment staged the death of a man at a bar, played by McClelland. Photographers from Mr. Stephen Torode’s photo classes ensured that every aspect of this scene was captured and saved for later. Students from Mr. Terry McElhatton’s video classes recorded the entire investigation. And members of Mrs. Diann Fugate’s journalism classes served as witnesses.

Most importantly, Mr. Canepa’s science classes led the investigation. Commenting on the effectiveness of this project, Mr. Canepa said, “It was a tremendous way to integrate traditional science with the high-interest CSI stuff.” In the end, after hours of facial recognition programs, intense questioning, and laborious research, the classes discovered the make-believe criminal:
Tech Department Head Mike Annab.