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A document examiner must be excellent with observation skills, logic, and chemistry. In Biology II, we analyze all three. Hand writing, like fingerprints, contains a combination of characteristics a forensic scientist looks for when he/she is trying to identify handwriting in letters, wills, checks, and even ransom notes. One of the first things the forensic scientists looks for is the way the lines for the letters are drawn. He looks at the slant of the letters; some people slant their letters forward, others backward, and others write straight up and down. I's and T's are also important, as well as punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
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Richard Orsini, one of the country's top forensic document examiners, is a guest speaker for our class. This is always a highlight for the students. He is an awesome man that has a passion for education and is a key ingredient in the development of our hands on, minds on curriculum. |
Here you see students engaged in solving a 500 piece puzzle in 90 minutes! The students read a mystery the day before then are given one class period to solve the mystery by completing the puzzle. Olga's smile and laughter demonstrate the relaxed atmosphere created with this activity, but don't kid yourself, students are very competitive to be the first to complete their conundrum. Students are also exposed to the history of codes and the use of cryptography in espionage. These activities are quite mind boggling for some students. They can become so frustrated that they consider giving up, but the lure of success generally keeps them driving on. Try your hand at some mind games or attempt a cryptogram below! |
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