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Middle school students at Lombardi Middle School learn from UW Oshkosh students about forensic digs

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Assistant Professor of Anthropology Jordan Karsten and 10 of his students set up a forensic dig for Lombardi Middle School students on Wednesday, May 18.

Barb Nelson, an eighth-grade earth and space science teacher at the Green Bay school, reached out to Karsten to prepare the dig for her students as a way to get them out of the classroom to apply their knowledge.

“The potential is so great,” Nelson said. “The students are learning about math, science and social science and this allows them to see hands-on the relationship between all of the subjects they are learning about in the classroom.”

Prior to the dig, Lombardi teachers taught students about the application of forensic digs, such as finding military remains in Europe and using them to identify what happened at that location.

“We work together to put together materials to bring in experts and to prepare students,” said Howard Lodl, eighth-grade earth and space science teacher. “The more hands-on opportunities we can provide, the more opportunities we give our students to explore career options. Bringing in experts like Jordan allows us to show students what they could do in their careers.”

For eighth-grade student Ben Freeden, the forensic dig gave him an opportunity to learn how to separate the crime scene into separate units, how to use tools and how to identify bones as male or female and determine how old someone was at the time of their death.

“This is really helping me remember what I learn,” Freeden said. “It is interesting and not something I had considered going into before, but now I might consider it.”

Headshot of Jordan KarstenFor Karsten, teaching middle school students about anthropology has been an eye-opening experience.

“It is exciting to see how excited they are to learn about science,” Karsten said.

Karsten and his students taught the Lombardi Middle School students about all aspects of a crime scene, including mapping based on location. Karsten said the hands-on learning allows students to explore their interests and remember what they learned.

“Instead of hearing about it in the classroom and then forgetting about it, they will remember the time they spent at a crime scene.” Karsten said. “My students are helping teach them, and that allows them to put what they’ve learned into action.”

For UW Oshkosh senior anthropology major Jake Hein, of Green Bay, helping middle school students is an opportunity to share his passion with others.

“I love anthropology and history, so being able to answer questions and teach others is really rewarding,” Hein said. “It’s great to help out and be in the field.”

Ellie Stamn, UWO senior anthropology major of Evansville, said teaching middle school students about anthropology is an opportunity to help them think beyond just their day-to-day lives.

“Anthropology gives people a broader perspective on life in general, helps them keep an open mind and be more well-rounded,” Stamn said.

Giving back to the community is important to Karsten and his students.

“It’s an opportunity unique to universities to be able to expose middle school students to something new and give them an experience to remember,” Karsten said.

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