Discipline: Anatomy; Forensic Science
Age Range: 5+ (with adult supervision)
Estimated Time: 10-15 minutes
What you need: Paper, pencil, clear tape, magnifying glass (optional)
Instructions: Fingerprints are a great way to tell people apart because everyone’s fingerprints are unique. This means that no two people in the world have the same set of fingerprints! Even though no two people’s fingerprints are exactly alike, there are three main fingerprint patterns. Which type of fingerprint pattern do you have? Follow these steps to find out!
Use your pencil to scribble a dark spot on your paper. Keep scribbling until you have a lot of dark pencil markings in one spot.
Rub your fingertip over the pencil markings. This will coat your fingerprint in a thin layer of gray material from the pencil.
Press a piece of clear tape onto your fingertip. Rub the tape so the print transfers evenly.
Remove the tape and stick it onto a blank area of your paper.
Look closely at your fingerprint on the tape (using your magnifying glass if you have one). Which pattern does it look most like?
