TPT
Total:
$0.00
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence
Share

What others say

"My students really enjoyed watching the videos and realizing that they completely missed something. This resource was well put together and my students were able to complete it at their own pace."
star
Katherine M.
"I personally love Science of Curiosity Resources. My students seem to like then as well. Easy to follow format - I use with 7th graders"
star
Kenya M.

Description

This resource is designed to teach students the difference between Direct and Circumstantial evidence. It also shows students how unreliable direct evidence (eyewitness testimony) is, and therefore the extreme importance of circumstantial evidence - which is what Forensic Science is all about! 

Resource contains:

Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence Google Slides - 16 slides NO PREP This lesson is student - led, the teacher needs only to give students access! It includes…

  • An explanation of the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence
  • Ask students to evaluate their own merits as an eyewitness with three short video clips that test student’s observation skills, sure to stump even your most observant students!
  • Three minute news clip from CNN investigating the unreliability of human memory and perception
  • A TedTalk that puts it all together, including the story of how two eyewitnesses put an innocent man behind bars for eight years, and explaining why witnesses so often get it wrong. 
  • Video clips are broken up into parts to allow students to think about and answer built in questions as they go along
  • Ten fill in the blank and processing questions based on the video clips
  • Four open ended questions asking students to evaluate their thoughts as they learn

Six question Google Form: Examples of Direct vs. Circumstantial Evidence - a great way for students to practice identifying examples of Direct vs Circumstantial evidence. It is self-grading!

KEY for Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence Google Slides is also included to make grading easier!

From a happy customer:

"...after grading 92 Direct vs Circumstantial assignments - WOW - I could see the kids change their thinking IN the work. They started out thinking Direct was better and at the end they saw the value of Circumstantial. For an at home assignment to pull out that thinking is just awesome." - Jessica M.

Teachers Guide: Includes tips on how to assign, grade, and collect student work!

This resource is fully editable! Feel free to change anything to fit your own class.

If you have any questions about how to use this resource, do not hesitate to email me! ScienceOfCuriosity@gmail.com

This resource is part of the Unit 1: Forensics Basics! Here is the full list of the whole Unit!

There is more to come! Click the ‘Star’ on the Science of Curiosity Store page to be notified when more resources are made available!

**Stay Curious!**

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.

Forensic Science Lesson: Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence

Science of Curiosity
2.5k Followers
$4.25

Highlights

Digital downloads
Grades icon
Grades
Standards icon
Standards
Pages
34
Answer Key
Included

What others say

"My students really enjoyed watching the videos and realizing that they completely missed something. This resource was well put together and my students were able to complete it at their own pace."
star
Katherine M.
"I personally love Science of Curiosity Resources. My students seem to like then as well. Easy to follow format - I use with 7th graders"
star
Kenya M.

Save even more with bundles

High School Forensics Curriculum Bundle for one semester (90+ days)! Includes seven full forensic units, three projects, hands on labs and activities, review games, review questions, assessments for each unit, and a final exam.  Teaching Forensic Science with this Bundle is STRESS FREE! Most of thes
Price $146.60Original Price $183.25Save $36.65
52
Crime Scene Basics BUNDLE! Save on EIGHT resources - all you need to teach your students the basics of Forensic Science. Includes notes, activities, a Unit project, and an assessment! Resources in the Bundle:Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence: Students learn the difference, and discover the unreliab
Price $28.80Original Price $36.00Save $7.20
9
High School Forensics Curriculum Bundle for the WHOLE YEAR! Includes eleven full forensic units, six projects, hands on labs and activities, review games, review questions and assessments. NGSS Aligned! Teaching Forensic Science with this Bundle is STRESS FREE! Most of these resources are NO PREP a
Price $260.20Original Price $325.25Save $65.05
87

Description

This resource is designed to teach students the difference between Direct and Circumstantial evidence. It also shows students how unreliable direct evidence (eyewitness testimony) is, and therefore the extreme importance of circumstantial evidence - which is what Forensic Science is all about! 

Resource contains:

Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence Google Slides - 16 slides NO PREP This lesson is student - led, the teacher needs only to give students access! It includes…

  • An explanation of the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence
  • Ask students to evaluate their own merits as an eyewitness with three short video clips that test student’s observation skills, sure to stump even your most observant students!
  • Three minute news clip from CNN investigating the unreliability of human memory and perception
  • A TedTalk that puts it all together, including the story of how two eyewitnesses put an innocent man behind bars for eight years, and explaining why witnesses so often get it wrong. 
  • Video clips are broken up into parts to allow students to think about and answer built in questions as they go along
  • Ten fill in the blank and processing questions based on the video clips
  • Four open ended questions asking students to evaluate their thoughts as they learn

Six question Google Form: Examples of Direct vs. Circumstantial Evidence - a great way for students to practice identifying examples of Direct vs Circumstantial evidence. It is self-grading!

KEY for Direct vs Circumstantial Evidence Google Slides is also included to make grading easier!

From a happy customer:

"...after grading 92 Direct vs Circumstantial assignments - WOW - I could see the kids change their thinking IN the work. They started out thinking Direct was better and at the end they saw the value of Circumstantial. For an at home assignment to pull out that thinking is just awesome." - Jessica M.

Teachers Guide: Includes tips on how to assign, grade, and collect student work!

This resource is fully editable! Feel free to change anything to fit your own class.

If you have any questions about how to use this resource, do not hesitate to email me! ScienceOfCuriosity@gmail.com

This resource is part of the Unit 1: Forensics Basics! Here is the full list of the whole Unit!

There is more to come! Click the ‘Star’ on the Science of Curiosity Store page to be notified when more resources are made available!

**Stay Curious!**

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.

Reviews

4.8
Rated 4.85 out of 5, based on 26 reviews
26
ratings
5
23
4
2
3
1
2
0
1
0
Mostly used with 11th grade
Reviews
2
2
1
7
9
17
11
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
All verified TPT purchases
Great Resource!
Rated 5 out of 5
September 14, 2025
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was a great addition to my criminal justice course!
Matthew G.
472 reviews • Texas
Grades taught: 7th, 8th
Rated 5 out of 5
July 18, 2025
My homeschooler was very engaged and retained a lot of details from this file. Thanks
Tosha F.
219 reviews
Grades taught: 9th
Rated 5 out of 5
May 15, 2025
My students really enjoyed watching the videos and realizing that they completely missed something. This resource was well put together and my students were able to complete it at their own pace.
Katherine M.
56 reviews
Grades taught: 9th, 10th
Rated 5 out of 5
November 4, 2024
I personally love Science of Curiosity Resources. My students seem to like then as well. Easy to follow format - I use with 7th graders
Kenya McCullough
(TPT Seller)
264 reviews
Grades taught: 7th
Rated 5 out of 5
September 8, 2024
I appreciate the clear instructions and creative activities that align perfectly with my curriculum
stefanelly garcia
(TPT Seller)
45 reviews
Grades taught: 11th, 12th
Student populations: Learning difficulties
Rated 5 out of 5
February 20, 2024
What a great resource! Great resource, easy to use, kids were engaged throughout the lesson. I have recommended this lesson to fellow teachers and they love it as well.
Barbara W.
146 reviews
Grades taught: 9th
Rated 5 out of 5
October 31, 2023
My students found this very engaging. It helped them to practice what they learned about direct vs circumstantial evidence, and the videos included were very relevant.
Michelle R.
37 reviews
Grades taught: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Student populations: Autism, Learning difficulties, Mild to severe disabilities
Rated 5 out of 5
October 24, 2023
Excellent resource that was very easy to use. Students enjoyed the short videos as it kept the lesson engaging.
Krystle C.
332 reviews
Grades taught: 11th, 12th

Questions & Answers

Loading

Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).
NGSSHS-ETS1-2
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
Loading