Increasingly sophisticated forensics lessons—typically focused on crime-solving techniques—have become entrenched over the past decade in many high schools and even some middle schools as electives or sections of core science classes, according to Education Week.

Many trace the popularity of forensics to a well-known source: the television series “CSI” and its spinoffs, as well as the proliferation of true-crime shows.

The link between those shows and student learning is unclear. A report released this year by the congressionally chartered National Research Council found modest evidence that shows like “CSI” have a positive effect on students’ view of science as a career—particularly females, when they see women shown as scientific contributors.

In the past three years, the number of forensics-themed topics at National Science Teachers Association conferences has climbed from 61 to 98, said Francis Eberle, the executive director of the 58,000-member organization.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News