Forensics B - Unit 3 - Activity
Forensics B - Unit 3 - Activity
Forensics B - Unit 3 - Activity
Handwriting Analysis
In this activity, you’ll do some handwriting comparisons of your own to get a feel for
this tricky but interesting line of work.
First, let's start with some of your own handwriting. Using white notebook paper,
write out the following paragraph in your natural style:
It was a dark and stormy morning. We quickly arrived at the scene of the crime at 4:30
a.m. and saw the suspect fleeing into the trees. Inside the house, a window was
broken and a picture was askew. As lightning cracked overhead, we looked behind the
frame to find the safe was empty.
When document examiners look at a writing sample, they look for specific features
like slant, crossings, alignment, and connections. Look closely at your sample and
write down a few words or a brief sentence of observation about each feature:
1. Slant: What is the slant of your writing? Does it slant right, left, or not at all?
a. There is a slight slant in my style of writing. The slant tends to go more
towards the right.
2. Crossings and dots: Do you cross your t’s in a distinctive way? Dot your i’s?
Describe them.
a. From what I've noticed I don't have a specific way that I cross them and
dot them.
3. Spacing: Are your spaces between words large or small? How about between
letters?
a. The spaces between my words are average
4. Relative height: How tall are your c’s relative to your t’s? What other height ratios
do you observe?
a. My c’s are much smaller than my t’s but that's normal to me.
5. Pressure: Do you press down hard when you write? Does the pressure vary?
How?
a. I tend to go light and it never changes.
6. Unique features: Do any of your letters show unique or unusual features?
a. No, none of my letters have any special characteristics.
Now that you’ve analyzed your own handwriting, try comparing it to a friend’s or a family member’s. Have
your partner write out the same paragraph that you wrote, preferably on the same surface and using the
same pen or pencil and paper.
1. How is your writing similar to your partner’s? How is it different? Pick at least three points from
a. My writing was very different compared to my partners. In their writing they had much
larger spacing in between their words whereas mine were very small. The unique features
that my writing includes a curvy cross in my g. Both my partner and my writing we both
2. Why is it important for your partner to use the same surface, pen/pencil, and paper as you did?
a. It is important so we will end with the same results because we used the same everything
besides the writer themselves we will be able to have the best accurate information.
3. Try writing the first sentence of the paragraph with a different kind of pen/pencil or on a different
surface. Compare the new sample to your original. Do you notice any differences? What are they
a. There are many differences from pressure to spacing. The pressure from using a pencil