Anna Williams won the Forensic Zone in June 2011, and won £500 to spend on further science engagement. Let’s take a look at how she spent her winnings…

With the prize money awarded after being voted the winner in the Forensic Zone in June 2011, Dr Anna Williams designed and created resources for a “Discover Decomposition” workshop aimed at 13–18 year olds.

Resources for a ‘Discover Decomposition’ workshop

The one-day workshop is specifically intended to allow young learners an opportunity to learn about the work of a Forensic Anthropologist, and get up close and personal with some human and animal bones. They can discover how an animal decays after death, and how information from the decaying body is used to determine post-mortem interval and contribute to the investigation of crime.

The workshop gives students a chance to experience some of the sights and smells of a real crime scene, see a real dead body (animal) and become forensic investigators for a day.

Anna presented the workshop free to students from several local schools while at her previous university. She has recently moved to the University of Huddersfield, where she intends to continue to offer it to groups from schools in the area; those who participated in I’m a Scientist in June 2011 and others. The workshop will be held on the outdoor forensic taphonomy facility she is currently in the process of creating there.