Summary
In this lesson, students will explore forensic document analysis with an emphasis on handwriting. They will learn about the 12 characteristics of handwriting analysis and use them to analyze samples of their own handwriting and a peer's. Students will apply the skills they practiced to identify the writer of a ransom note from a collection of known handwriting samples. In small groups, students will act as expert witnesses and present their evidence to a jury of their peers to convince them that the group has identified the ransom note writer.
Essential Question(s)
How are characteristics of handwriting used in document analysis?
Snapshot
Engage
Students explore the 12 handwriting characteristics used in forensic document analysis.
Explore
Students use the 12 characteristics to perform an analysis of their own handwriting and a peer’s.
Explain
Students take notes on document analysis, the history of handwriting analysis, and the development of individualized handwriting.
Extend
Students apply what they’ve learned about handwriting analysis to identify the writer of a ransom note from a collection of handwriting samples.
Evaluate
Student groups act as expert witnesses and present to a jury of their peers the evidence supporting the identity of their ransom note writer.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Ransom notes (written by students ahead of time)
Lined paper
Pencils
Colored pencils and/or highlighters
Rulers and/or calipers
Magnifying glasses
Characteristics of Handwriting handout (attached; one per student)
Handwriting Analysis lab handout (attached; one per student)
Window Notes handout (attached; one per student)
Expert Testimony handout (attached; one per student)
Ransom Note Exemplar Analysis handout (attached; 2–3 per group)
Engage
20 Minute(s)
To begin this lesson, go to slide 2 and ask students to copy down the Fourth Amendment on two sheets of lined paper. They should make two copies. Do not tell students what the purpose of the activity is yet.
Continue to slides 3–5 to introduce the lesson’s essential question and learning objectives. Go to slide 6 to introduce document analysis. Let students know they will learn more about the field later. Now inform the students that they will be conducting their own document analysis beginning with handwriting analysis of their Fourth Amendment exemplars. Go to slide 7 and ask them to do an informal Collective Brain Dump of ideas about what characteristics might be used to analyze handwriting. Discuss as a class before continuing.
Provide each student with a copy of the Characteristics of Handwriting handout (attached). Go to slides 8–11 to review the twelve characteristics of handwriting with students. The lesson slide notes have a few additional details beyond what is included in the table description. Encourage students to make additional notes on their handout to further clarify the descriptions of each characteristic.
Explore
40 Minute(s)
To prepare students to do two rounds of handwriting analysis, distribute the Handwriting Analysis handout (attached) to each student. Go to slide 12 and review the instructions for how students should analyze one of their own Fourth Amendment writing samples. After students have completed their own handwriting analysis, they should trade their second copy of the Fourth Amendment with a neighbor and repeat the analysis on their partner’s writing sample.
Next, go to slide 13 and ask students to compare the analysis of their handwriting to their partner’s analysis of it. They should first look at the writing samples side-by-side to assess visual similarities and differences in their writing characteristics. Then they should compare their data tables to see how consistent their analyses were. Call on a few students to share their findings with the class.
Go to slide 14 and have the class discuss the questions. It is important for students to understand how to visually eliminate samples without doing a close examination because they will use this skill in a later activity.
Before moving on, make sure students write their name at the top of each of their two Fourth Amendment samples before they turn them in.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Now that students have had an opportunity to practice handwriting analysis, let them know that they’re going to learn more about how handwriting is used in forensics. Distribute the Window Notes handout (attached), then move to slide 15 and introduce the Window Notes instructional strategy. As you go over the content on the slides, they should note down facts, vocabulary, surprising things, and any questions they have. This is a good opportunity to encourage them to take notes without writing down everything on the slide. A summary of the information in their own words is enough. Consider pausing briefly after each slide to give students an opportunity to finish capturing their questions and thoughts.
Go to slides 16–17 to introduce document analysis to students. Mention to students the forgery details that are in the slide notes: forgery can include things you wouldn’t expect, like changing information on your driver’s license to enter a bar illegally; forgers often work for organizations like the FBI, because they are experienced and therefore experts.
Go to slide 18 and provide an overview of the professional field of handwriting analysis. Depending on how in-depth you want to go into the history of handwriting analysis in the case, you may also want to provide additional information about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping beyond the brief bullet point in the slides. Continue to slide 19 to discuss handwriting. Handwriting, like fingerprints, is unique to individuals. Unlike fingerprints, which form in utero, handwriting develops over time and becomes more consistent as people reach adulthood. However, students should understand that handwriting can still vary due to a variety of factors.
Wrap up the lecture/notes by going to slide 20 to discuss some of the shortcomings of handwriting analysis, and how investigators can get higher quality handwriting exemplars from potential suspects.
Extend
40 Minute(s)
Students apply their understanding of handwriting analysis to act as document experts evaluating ransom notes.
Go to slide 21 to introduce the scenario. Have students go to page 3 of the Handwriting Analysis handout (previously distributed) and pass out copies of the Ransom Note Exemplar Analysis handouts to each group. Go to slide 22 to review the activity instructions with the students. They should conduct the first two steps together: doing a close examination of the ransom note using the 12 characteristics (Handwriting Analysis handout), and visually eliminating any samples that obviously do not match the note. They should record on the Ransom Note Exemplar handout(s) their reasoning (i.e., which characteristics they noted) for each elimination.
Next, ask students to divide up any remaining handwriting samples among themselves and conduct close examinations of those. As a group, they should then compare their close examinations of the samples and ransom note and come to a conclusion about which sample matches their note. Tell students it is okay if they feel uncertain in their conclusion. The important part is that they can justify their decisions based on the evidence available to them. It is also okay for them to return to the samples they eliminated visually and do close examinations on those if they feel it’s necessary.
Evaluate
60 Minute(s)
To wrap-up the lesson, students will work in their groups to create an expert witness presentation to convince a jury of their peers that they have identified the ransom note writer from their handwriting samples. Go to slides 23–24 to introduce students to the activity scenario and content expectations. Pass out a copy of the Expert Testimony handout (attached) to each student. Go to slides 25–26 to review with students what should be included in the introduction and conclusion of their presentation. Students should work as a group to create these two portions, and it is up to them who will present each. It is fine for only one student in the group to record the information for the introduction and conclusion on the handout.
Proceed to slide 27 to discuss the argument portion of the presentation. (Note that the student handout has more details than the slides, so be sure to draw their attention to those.) Students should divide up the evidence presentation work evenly so that everyone is creating at least one of the arguments on their own. Tell students they will each be presenting their part of the argument and turning in the written version at the end of the activity. Each student should have a written explanation in at least one of the argument boxes in the handout (Eliminated Visually, Eliminated or Confirmed with Close Examination).
Once students have completed their written arguments, have each group present their testimony to the class. At the end of their presentation, the jury members should each record the names of the students in the group, circle yes or no whether they were convinced by the testimony, and provide a summary of the reason behind their decision.
After all groups have presented, collect the Expert Testimony handouts from students for individual evaluation of their work. Go to slide 28 and, as a class, discuss the following questions to provide a final reflection on the lesson:
What was it about the expert testimonies that you found convincing (or unconvincing)?
Do you think handwriting/document analysis can provide enough evidence to convict someone of a crime? Why or why not?
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). Collective brain dump. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/111
Georgia Department of Education. (July 2019). Science Georgia standards of excellence, SCIENCE - forensic science. Georgia Department of Education. https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Documents/Science-Forensic-Science-Georgia-Standards.pdf
K20 Center. (n.d.). Window notes. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/189