You Be the CSI
Ask an adult to help you practice your investigation skills. When you
are not around, the adult should make a footprint in a soft surface
such as sand or mud. The print should be at least ¼-inch (0.6 cm)
deep. Afterward, make a cast of the footprint. First, spray the shoe
impression with hairspray to keep it in place. Then mix plaster of Paris
with water (according to the directions on the package). Carefully pour
the plaster into the shoe impression. When it is set, dig the cast out of
the impression. Try to match the cast to one of the adult’s shoes. Why
not take a soil sample from the shoe, too? It might match the soil at the
scene of the “crime.”
