Dare County Schools

Some students may grumble a bit over homework assignments and projects, while others may go looking for a bit more of a challenge.  First Flight Middle School eighth grader, Maggie Roberts, is one of the latter, one who is always looking for a chance to explore something interesting.  At the beginning of the school year, she began an independent course, Clues and Crime, offered through Duke University Talent Identification Program. FFMS AIG teacher Colleen Vaughan is Maggie's on-site faculty sponsor.

Maggie explains this forensics course focused on how crime scene investigators go about properly collecting and effectively analyzing evidence found at a scene. Lectures from a professor who teaches forensics at Duke University are provided on a pair of CDs that are a part of the course. "The course is a little graphic, but not gory or overly disgusting. Learning about forensics is really intriguing, like learning a special way to solve a new kind of puzzle,” stresses Maggie.

After completing Clues and Crimes, Maggie turned her focus to A Reader’s Journey, which includes literature from around the world.  Maggie selected this course since it provides an excellent way to mentally experience the rest of the world. From the role of women in revolutions in the Dominican Republic, to the life  of a boy in Africa, who ends up involved in a violent, horrible war, to the story of a girl who grows up in Iran during the country’s cultural revolution, the course draws you into major and minor events across the globe.

Those interested in learning more about the independent courses offered through the Duke University Talent Identification Program can view the listings at http://www.tip.duke.edu/node/63.

Collaborative copy: Roberts/Vaughan/sps
photo: sps