Blog 1 - Crime Scenes

 On the first day, I created three crime scenes for students to investigate. The three were random and had little of a story behind them. Those were for an initial look into a crime scene and to see how they would instinctively move through one without guidance. There was a kidnapping, dismemberment, and one in the process of a cover-up. I can access many different items and "bodies" to choose from when creating crime scenes. Some will be very bloody, and others might not, but I have complete creative freedom to do whatever I see fit for the students to look through. The point was to get people thinking about what to do and how to approach a scene. We wanted to see who used inductive versus deductive reasoning. Were people trying to use what they initially saw to make a story, or were they looking at all the evidence and letting it "speak." I remember doing this same exercise when I took this intensive last year, and I pulled inspiration from what I remembered of the crime scene to make it as fun and interactive as possible. I have also been doing some generic TA things, such as making copies of papers and helping around the classroom to help set up an activity. I have also engaged with people in the class, sometimes helping them figure out a riddle they were given or simply helping guide them through the investigation process. They are welcome to ask me questions; I am always happy to answer. It was a fulfilling and fun first day, and I can not wait for the Cluedup game we will all be playing in downtown Cleveland. It was an enjoyable game last year, and since the theme is different, I will also join a group.