District 200 Plans Forensic Science, Human Anatomy Courses

District 200 on Wednesday approved a new curriculum for high school science and next year will offer forensic science, human anatomy and physiology classes to juniors and seniors. 

The course descriptions, according to District 200, include: 

Human Anatomy and Physiology explores the systems comprising the human body by examining physiological mechanisms and developing a thorough understanding of human anatomy. An emphasis is placed on the interrelatedness of such systems as the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems, and may include other body systems as well.  Additional topics will include medical terminology, basic chemistry, and cell and tissue structure. This course is recommended for those considering the pursuit of a career in the health science field. Careers in the medical and healthcare fields will also be investigated. Dissection will be a required component of several of the units of study.

Forensic Science is a one-semester high school level course that satisfies a CUSD200 graduation requirement in the area of science.  Successful completion of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics are prerequisites for this course. Forensic Science is the application of scientific methods using principles from Biology, Chemistry and Physics in crime investigations. This course is lab-based and may include the following themes of study: crime scene evidence, forensic anthropology, toxicology, trace evidence, DNA, fingerprints, impression evidence, analysis of glass, serology, and questionable documents. Forensic Science provides basic knowledge of proper crime scene procedures and evidence processing that includes proper collection, documentation and preservation of physical evidence. Students engage in investigations to understand and explain a variety of scenarios that incorporate scientific reasoning, analysis, communication skills and real-world applications.

To read more about the courses, go to the District 200 website.

District 200 students who have taken the required core classes, biology, chemistry and physics, will be eligible for the new, one-semester courses. Staff will request approval for the curricula at the Jan. 11 board meeting in order to implement the courses in the 2012-13 school year.