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Northridge High students create crime scenes and solve murders to pass their medical forensics final

Posted at 9:33 PM, Oct 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-08 23:33:29-04

LAYTON, Utah — The medical forensics class at Northridge High School has a twist ending. While the students solve mysteries, they realize in the end they’ve learned chemistry, physics and biology.

Some of them even finish the year with a high paying job at a firm willing to pay for their college education, according to teacher Stacey Howell.

It’s an unusual science class where the term final sends students into a big common room in teams to set up the scene of a murder. Each team scattering evidence sufficient to solve the crime if the investigators do their job.

After setting up their crime scenes, the teams become the investigators, tackling a mystery set up by another group of students.

“In my regular chemistry class kids come in and say, ‘I'm never going to use this in my life. What am I doing?’” Howell said.

But in medical forensics, they realize that science can lead to a job that’s rewarding, and even fun.

“This isn't dull science. This is cool science. They’re able to process and do stuff, and you've got them for life,” Howell said.