The Ertzaintza emergency centre received a call from a neighbour reporting that at around 7:30 a.m. two individuals were leaving the museum in a somewhat hurried manner with a plastic bag containing something heavy.
When the officers arrived, they found the door of the museum open and a security guard lying unconscious on the ground and beginning to recover. They noticed a person taking a plastic bag containing something heavy out of one of the bins in the park.
The officers inspected the bag and discovered that it contained a sculpture, presumably stolen from the museum. The individual told the officers that he had found the bag and did not know anything about its contents. In the place where the sculpture was displayed inside the museum, there was another identical sculpture.
The team of Forensic Scienceconsisting of Baccalaureate studentshas gone to the scene of the crime to collect evidence and clarify what really happened. Once the evidence has been collected, it will be taken to the laboratories for analysis and defend their findings before the Forensic Science Police.
This innovative project aims to promote the development of STEAM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) through the investigation of a simulated crime prepared by the Ertzaintza Scientific Police. They put into practice the knowledge they are acquiring in the different scientific and technical disciplines to analyse the evidence collected at the crime scene and reach conclusions that they defend before the scientific police. This project allows students to learn first-hand about a STEM profession, such as forensic science.
Students' motivation is assured. They acquire teamwork skills, develop research skills and creative and critical thinking. The research process necessarily involves challenge and reflection; open-mindedness, balance and impartiality are fundamental prerequisites for good research.
In this project, developed by the Gaztelueta School350 students from eleven Basque schools are taking part: Artxandape, IES Barandiaran, El Regato, Gaztelueta, Irlandesas, Irungo La Salle, Lauro Ikastola, Centro de Formación Somorrostro, Urdaneta, Urretxindorra and Colegio Alemán de San Sebastián.
As it is a project that promotes STEAM skills in an innovative and motivating way, it has aroused interest beyond our borders and has also been implemented in other countries, such as Finland, Poland, France, ItalyIndia, Australia, Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, among others.
