Name: ____________________________
Period__________
Date: _________________
Analyzing Your Handwriting Lab
Part 1: Handwriting Exemplar
Directions: Below, copy the following passage. (Yes, all of it!)
Passage:
The examination of questioned documents covers many areas of investigations, including
verifying handwriting and signatures; authenticating documents; characterizing papers, pigments and
inks used in writing utensils, instruments, and copying machines; restoring erased and obliterated
writing; and even determining the relative age of documents and inks.
Why would anyone be concerned about a piece of paper? Believe it or not, paper is involved in
most crimes – perhaps directly, as a ransom note in a kidnapping or a forged signature on a check;
perhaps indirectly, as business records in a drug operation or as a receipt for a car rental.
Last but not least, I love forensics. It was the best class ever!
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Part 2: Use the following criteria to comment on each of the 12 characteristics of handwriting.
Name: ____________________________
1
Criteria
Line Quality
2
Spacing of words and Letter
3
Letter Comparison / Size
Comparison
4
Continuous / Pen lifts
5
Connecting Letters
6
Letters Complete
7
Cursive or Printed Letters
8
Pen Pressure
9
Slant
10
Line Habits
11
Fancy Writing
12
Placement of diacritics
Period__________
Date: _________________
Your description of your writing sample