ANAT2521 Biological Anthropology: Principles and Practices Assignment | UNSW Sydney

ANAT2521 Assessment Description

Rationale

Students will complete this assessment to build their forensic report writing skills for court purposes. A forensic anthropologist can be approached by police or defence to provide their expert opinion for an ongoing investigation, and they will be required to prepare a report for court based on their objective findings. This assessment prepares the student to understand what needs to be included within this expert report, preparing them for such circumstances in their future careers.

Task description

Students will have guidance each week by their tutors (Dilan and Rachel) as they are drafting their reports. The students' practical sessions will provide them with the opportunity to examine their skeletal remains, and their subsequent tutorials allow them to write about their findings each week. For this assessment item you will be placed into a team and required to conduct an anthropological investigation by analysing skeletal remains as part of a group. You will be assessed individually on the accuracy of your investigation and your ability to communicate your findings through submission of a written report of around 1500 words. A marking rubric will guide you in deciding the content and formatting of your submission. Written feedback will be provided no more than 2 weeks after the submission deadline in week 10.

Font must be Arial, 12 pt and margins must be a minimum of 2cm on all sides (including header and footer).  

Using the knowledge that you learn each week throughout this term (lectures and practicals) and also through your own research using appropriate references to provide additional factual information, you will act as an expert in forensic anthropology to address a police enquiry into a homicide case. The police have sought your opinion to provide information about human skeletal remains found, whilst providing you context by processing the crime scene and collecting the remains and associated evidence. The lead Detective has requested your opinion to assist with furthering the investigation.

The questions are: [1] determine ONE aspect of the biological profile (biological sex, ancestry, or age) of the anonym, and [2] ascertain the possible cause of death (trauma).

Resources

Resources will be provided within each tutorial as well as any additional reading materials to provide as much support as possible for students.

ANAT2521 Written Forensic Case Report Marking Rubric