BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Bloodstains, fingerprints and DNA analysis are no ordinary part of summer camp.

But at Camp CSI Birmingham, going on this week at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, campers spend their days poring over crime scenes — well, mock ones — and examining evidence.

It sounds fun, but it’s also meant to give participants, high school students from around the Birmingham metro area, a solid foundation in the science behind the popular TV crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and its spinoffs.

“It gives the kids a chance to learn about natural science in a fun environment outside of school,” said Jason Linville, a professor of forensic science at UAB and the camp’s leader. “Forensic science is a great way to get them interested.”

A few years ago, Linville said, most people didn’t know what forensic science was; now his department routinely fields calls from youngsters who want to know how to get started in the profession. So UAB decided to hold its first forensic camp this year.

“The focus on the camp is not to recruit kids into the field but to give these kids a sense of what the science is like,” Linville said.

On Day One, students spent the afternoon learning about mass spectrometry and gas chromatography, methods for determining what kinds of drugs might be present at a crime scene. They examined faux samples of methamphetamine and cocaine molecules and compared them to a database to find a match. They learned the difference between different speeds of molecules and took a peek inside the equipment real lab technicians use.

“On television and in the movies, if they’re putting a drug sample into a genetic analyzer or some other instrument, now you can nudge the friend next to you,” Linville told the crowd, to giggles.

Each morning of the five-day camp, students start out collecting evidence at a staged crime scene. Afternoons, they work in the lab to dissect their information, determining which substances are really blood and even, with the help of graduate students in chemistry, extracting DNA.

Thursday’s session included examining maggots and flies to find out how long a “body” had been lying outside. Today, for the finale, campers will present their evidence in a mock trial.

For some students, it’s eye-opening to see the reality behind the TV series.

Morgan Fancher, a junior at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, said she wanted to be a forensic scientist even before she got hooked on “CSI,” and taking Advanced Placement Chemistry last year convinced her.

“It’s different from the shows,” said Fancher, 16, of Pelham. “It’s not as glamorous. But I want to work with my hands, so it’s all right.”

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Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews