By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

Sharon Nelson (upper right) explains the use of a scanning electron microscope to a group of Heritage Hill students. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

LIBERTY TWP. - A "whodunit" murder mystery is turning Heritage Elementary School fifth- and sixth-grade students into sleuths.

Their tools became microscopes, their crime lab a 60-foot-long Tech Trek Mobile Research Lab on loan this week from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's educational outreach office.

Four-person teams take on the roles of forensic scientists, trying to determine who killed "Chuck Ittall," a 25-year-old naturalist. Each team gets a police report, a list of suspects and interrogation statements.

"It's like a mystery and I like mysteries,'' said 11-year-old Blakley Stretch as she examined a clothing sample under a microscope. "This could be from the piece of clothing of the victim.''

Evidence was placed in plastic bags. Each team had to determine which microscope to use with which evidence.

Inside the lab students use equipment valued at $400,000, including a personal scanning electron microscope that magnifies objects 7500 times. Other equipment consists of interfaced light microscopes, compound light microscopes and a dissecting microscope.

Teacher Peggy Redman said Wednesday that the crime scene exercise gives students hands-on experience using equipment not available at the school.

"This helps them (experience) an inquiry of science and technology,'' said Sharon Nelson, an outreach educator who travels with the van to schools within a 50-mile radius of the Air Force base.

In one bag containing particles found on the victim's neck, Caitlin Shively first thought the material was sand - until she examined it more closely and compared it to a salt sample.

Kelsey Williamson began her investigation by putting a bug found at the scene under a microscope.

"This is fun because you get to do something other than sit down in a classroom. I like the mystery of it.''

Students also put pieces of scaly, sometime twisted, leathery material under the microscopes. Their task: to see if it was the skin of a python or lizard - each of which a naturalist would have contact with - and how that fit into the puzzle.

After all the fifth- and sixth-graders have had their turn as sleuths, they will pool findings to try to determine who killed Chuck Ittall: Ida Knownothing, Lefty Early, Misty Alibias or Don Taskme.