Today is the third day of the Forensic Science Workshop. Wledeh starts the days off by speaking on the subject of handwriting analysis and how it ties in with forensic science itself. The kids start off with an activity that requires that they look at a piece of paper with 8 sentences on them, where each of the 8 sentences say the same thing. However, the kids must see which of the 8 sentences are written by the person who wrote a the sentence at the top of the page. By looking at patterns in the handwriting reflected on the screen before them, they can determine to some extent what sentence on the piece of paper they received was written by the same person.
The next activity helps the kids to understand spacing analysis when forensic scientists analyze handwriting. The kids are then asked to write their names twice on a sheet of paper. Then the kids are given another tracing paper where they are asked to put that sheet on top of the first sheet of paper that they wrote on. Then they are asked to carefully make marks on the low points of each of the letters in each signature. Then they are to remove the paper and compare the two. Then, they are asked to carefully make small marks on all the low points of the beginning and ending of each letter in both signatures. By doing all of this, the kids are able to see that this is a procedure that investigators or forensic scientists usually go through to identify an author or writer of a note or letter.
The kids then use the procedure of spacing analysis when they look back at the first sheet of paper they received in the first activity, and once again try to determine which of the 8 sentences were written by the person who wrote a the sentence at the top of the page. This allows the kids to see if their first guesses were correct or not. '
The next activity that the kids partake in involves that they look at pictures on-line. The pictures that they look at are close-ups of everyday life entities. They are to identify what they think the pictures are. The kids actually are very successful in their guesses.
After returning from break, the kids are asked to examine an image on the computer screen that rep- resents a region on the earth and see if they can figure out whether it was a made-up image or an original one. This encourages the kids to make observations on what they deem to be true or not. Cornelia then tells the kids if they find the boiling point of Radium, and can convince everyone that what they got was right then they will receive 100 dollars. However, they all come up with different answers. The point of this lesson is that no one really knows the exact answer as to what the boiling point of Radium really is. There have been several answers that people have come up with.
The kids next experiment with ink chromatography by analyzing fingerprints. After the kids take prints of their fingers they analyze what type of fingerprint they have as an individual (central pocket loop, double loop, accidental, plain whorl, loop, and tented arch). Fingerprints are a good way to identify criminals and other participants in the crime.
The kids next dust for fingerprints. They clean off the tables they will put their prints on. Then they gently place one of their fingers on the table. Then dust is laid on top of the print to make it visible to lift with an adhesive label. By dusting for fingerprints, they are able to see how forensic scientists and investigators go about collecting the fingerprints of suspected criminals.
Their last activity can help with identifying a pen. It is an experiment that separates the ink in each color ink.
This wraps up the third day of the Forensic Science Workshop.