Yesterday you tried two very basic concentration style memory games. Then you tried the penny memory game. It was a lot harder wasn’t it? It took me about 10 tries to pick the correct penny. I wasn’t very good at that one.

Today, the memory games put you in a more realistic detective experience. In this first game, you are going to look at three different id badges. You will have 30 seconds to memorize all the details you can about each badge. Then you will be shown a series of badges and you will need to decide if each badge is real or a fake. Play Battle of the Badges. How did you do? It took me several tries to get through all three levels. It really is hard to keep track of several different details like: job title, name & badge color…all at once.

In this next challenge you are going to pretend that you have been called into court to testify about one of your recent cases. The defense is challenging your observational skills. You will be shown a picture for 10 seconds. During that 10 seconds you need to try to memorize as many details in the picture as you can.  Afterwards, you will be asked questions about what you saw. Rice U. Crime Scene: Test Your Memory. How did you do on that one?

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Counterfeit - To make a copy look like the original. Counterfeit money is fake money.

The last few days we’ve been working on your observation skills. Let’s move on now to memory. Noticing details doesn’t help much in an investigation if you can’t remember the details later. Let’s see how you do on this simple memory test. This game is easy to play. Just click on an FBI Seal and it will turn over. Click on a second seal and if this choice does not match the first, both of the seals will turn back over. Try two more seals and if they match, they will stay flipped over. Your goal is to complete the game with the least amount of tries. FBI Memory Game. Try this similar game from the national Reconnaissance Office: Memory Test.

Ok, now try this next memory game that is a bit harder. You will be asked to remember something that seems pretty easy - what a penny looks like. You’ll have to dig the details up from your memory bank though. Only one of the pennies is correct. Which one is it? Exploratorium: Common Cents. Usually, people remember only enough about an object to recognize it, most people don’t store small details in their memory…if you did well on this test, you have an uncommonly good memory! A great skill for an Ace Detective!

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Contact – The person a detecive or agent communicates with to collect information.

Yesterday was pretty easy, now let’s find out what you can really see.

1. We’ll start inside. Pretend you’ve discovered a problem while examining photos from a recent case. You think someone may have tampered with the crime scene – that means someone moved things around. Look at these two photographs of the same crime scene and see how many differences you can spot.

2. Now try seeing differences outside. Compare these two identical-looking street scenes and find the differences between them. Click on a found difference in either image to see if you are correct.

3. Next, let’s see what you can figure out by observing a single picture. What can you decide is true, just by looking at the details in the picture? Put your perceptual skills to the test. Answer seven multiple choice questions correctly by finding the answers within the photograph. Look at the photograph.

How did you do? Detectives can figure out a lot just by using their eyes.

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Confidential - Private or secret information.

Good detectives notice and remember details. You need to be able to concentrate on details with your eyes and store what you see in your memory. Practice can help you get better at this. First, see if you can use your eyes to find hidden pictures in the game I Spy: The Library. After you are done with that one, try looking at these two pictures that are ALMOST alike.  See if you can Spot the Differences between the two pictures.

Now lets take it a notch tougher. Watch this Harriet the Spy Spy Test Video carefully and then answer the questions that follow. I tried it – it’s tricky!

You can get some real time practice improving your observation skills at the Undercover Readers Summer Workshop:  I Spy. Solve a crime using your sharp sleuthing skills! For kids ages 6-13. The program lasts 45 minutes and is free and open to the public. Take your detective tool kit – you might need it! Schedule

Talk the Talk Word of the Day: Clue – An object or a piece of information that helps solve a mystery.