Argument Pre-Writing Chart
Name: ___PERIOD 6______________________
 
Activity: _____SLIP OR TRIP?______________________________________
 
THESIS STATEMENT:_We believe that Margaret murdered Charles._________
__________________________________________________________________
REASONS (What do you need to prove to make your thesis "true?") ___First, Margaret had both the motive and the opportunity to kill Charles. Furthermore, there are several pieces of hard evidence that point to Margaret's guilt. FInally, Margaret had access to the frying pan which was probably the weapon._______________
Order?
EVIDENCE

EXPLANATIONS (including context of evidence, interpretation of evidence with warrants as needed, and SO WHAT’s)
1

Margaret and Charles had a fight earlier that night.

This fact establishes that Margaret had a motive to kill Charles.
Margaret arrived home ten minutes before her guests. This shows that Margaret had ample opportunity to commit this crime.
3

Charles was found with a glass, unbroken, in his hand.

Margaret said, "Charles... was coming down for another drink."

 When you're falling down the stairs while holding something in your hand, you will drop what you're carying to try to stop your fall. Even if you don't drop what you're carrying, the item will brake or fall out of your hand. What this proves is that Charles couldn't have fallen the way Margaret said--she's lying! Also, since the galss is still in his hand, we believe it was planted. All of this evidence points to one conclusion: Margaret killed Charles.
2
 Charles was found lying on his back with his feet left on the stairs. When you fall while coming downstairs, your head should end up on the stairs, or you should land on your front. Once again, Margaret's story does not match the facts. She's our prime suspect.
4

The decorations on the stairway wall are untouched.

Charles's right hand isn't holding anything.

 When you fall, you reach for wahtever's closest to you to stop your fall. In this case, Charles would have reached for the wall since his right hand is free. Yet miraculously enough, nothing on the wall has moved! This is more evidence to prove Charles's death was no accident. It was murder!
5

Charles died of a "wound to the head."

When Chalres was found at 1 a.m., a frying pan was cooking on the stove.

 Now we know that a frying pan is certainly sturdy enough to inflict a head wound, and Margaret certainly had access to it. While we'd need futher tests to validate this, we conclude that the frying pan is only on that stove for Margaret to destroy evidence of her crime.