No two people write in exactly the same way. Detectives use handwriting analysis to solve mysteries. A handwriting expert can tell whether or a not a person wrote a letter or note. Even if a suspect tries to disguise their handwriting, a good handwriting expert can tell. The more samples of the suspects handwriting there are, the easier it is for the expert to identify writing patterns of the person being tested.

Try out your skills analyzing handwriting playing these two games: CSI Handwriting Analysis Game and Fetch CSI: Tugboat Thug.

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Recon – Short for reconnaissance which means gathering information.

Codes are used whenever people want to keep a message private. You need to know how the code works and the person receiving your message needs to know how the code works.

Thunk  is an example of a code generator. This online generator converts your message into a code for you. This is the lazy way to do it, and not as secure as a top secret code, but it works. The person you are sending the message needs to use the same online code generator to translate your coded message back into English. Give it a try. Click on the Thunk Code Generator. Copy and paste this message into the generator. Click “Unscramble”.

Lfd jve 65 uvpvcry gcb! Cnyy cqn bag unbx Tfunjfau: bzracxvu552

Thunk Code Generator

Read that unscrambled message closely!

Now here’s a game that doesn’t do all the work for you – try to Crack Digit’s Code. Look really carefully at the secret decoder. Roll over the letters with the mouse to reveal which symbol is associated with each letter.  TIP: Look how each symbol in the coded message has some lines around it. You need to match up those lines with the lines in the tic-tac-toe grid…THEN figure out which of the letters you need by looking at the symbol.

• Cyberchase: Crack Digit’s Code

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Polygraph – A machne that uses body sensors to determine if a person is lying.

If you want to communicate secretly with another person, you might decide to write your message in a secret code or you might choose to write your message in invisible ink. Today, you can learn how to write in this secret ink and tomorrow you will start to learn about codes. These three websites give you directions for writing a message in invisible ink. Give it a try!

• Dragonfly TV Invisible Ink
• MI5 How to Make Invisible Ink
• Fetch Invisible Ink

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Perp – Short for perpetrator, another name for a suspect or the person accused of a crime.

You have collected important things for your detective tool kit. Now you can learn to make a few more. Crafty Detectives has all kinds of directions for making detective tools. In it you can learn to to make a hidden camera, a trick wallet, an undercover book, alarms and a lot more.

The marble telescope and the persiscope are both devices to help you conduct secret surveillance. With a periscope you can see around corners or over walls or fences. With the marble telescope you can see through a keyhole. Really. Give them a try.
• Marble Telescope
• Exploratorium: Up Periscope

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Mole - A person secretly gathering information from people. The people think the person is loyal but the person is really collecting information for someone else.