Education Technology


NUMB3RS - Season 2 - "Scorched" - Mapping Fireprints

Activity Overview

Charlie wants to find out if a string of fires was set by the same person. Larry tells Charlie, "If every arsonist approaches a fire differently, it makes sense that every fire set would be unique to the person setting it. Not just in terms of the method but in terms of the entire character of the fire. What we're talking about is a fingerprint for fires." Charlie calls this unique pattern a fireprint.

Before the Activity

Download the attached PDF and look over the Teacher Page.

During the Activity

Discuss the materials from the Student Page with your class.

After the Activity

Encourage students to explore web sites and questions from the Extensions page.