Lakehead University Partners with School Board to Host CSI Conference for Gifted Students

May 6, 2010

Over 250 elementary school children became forensic scientists today when they visited Lakehead - Orillia's University Avenue campus for a Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Conference.

The CSI: Orillia Gifted Outreach Conference 2011, a partnership between the Simcoe County District School Board and Lakehead University - Orillia, brought together gifted students from across Simcoe County for a day of learning, challenge, and fun.

The CSI Conference program was designed by 18 student volunteers enrolled in Lakehead - Orillia's professional year of education. Working under the direction of the Gifted Leadership Team from the Simcoe County District School Board, Lakehead's Faculty of Education students developed a full day of workshops and activities based on the elementary school curriculum.

"Our Leadership Team was impressed with what these future teachers brought to the table," said Karen McGregor, Special Education Coach with the School Board. "They put together a program that featured hands-on, inquiry-based learning, which is a teaching approach emphasized at Lakehead - Orillia."

Students from grades 4 to 8 took part in a variety of workshops and activities that required the skills used to investigate a crime scene. In workshops with titles such as "Who Dun It," "In the Bag!," and "The Squashed Banana," students collected and analyzed evidence, explored soundscapes, and acted out mysterious scenarios. In one workshop, students were outside trying to piece together evidence that included an abandoned bicycle at the bottom of a water retention pond, a randomly placed shoe, and other clues.

Forensic scientists for the day - School children from throughout Simcoe County attended a CSI Conference for Gifted Students at Lakehead University's Orillia campus on Friday, May 6. The students took part in hands-on workshops to learn about and practice the skills required to investigate crime scenes.

"This is a wonderful extension of the learning opportunities we provide for our teacher candidates," said Elizabeth Thomas, Acting Director of Undergraduate Programs in Education at the Orillia campus. "They have made an excellent contribution to the Gifted Leadership Team at the Board, while adding to their professional portfolio in preparation for teaching."

The partnership is clearly a "win-win" situation. The elementary school students have the opportunity to gather for some challenging and fun activities, while enjoying the University setting, and the Lakehead Faculty of Education students are able to put their training into practice as they prepare to enter the workforce.