Crime Scene in the Media Center

Script
As part of the end of the unit lesson, Mrs. Thrash and Mrs. Chapman were
planning on reading Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” and then showing the
movie and having a celebration in the theater with their classes. When Mrs. Thrash
went to the Audio Visual Room to check out the video, she saw that the place had
been ransacked and the video was gone.
“Our plans are ruined!” she exclaimed. “Who could have done this and why?”
She went to alert Mrs. Sultenfuss. Mrs. Sultenfus said that when she came in in the
morning she noticed that the door was ajor. But she didn’t really think much of it
because she was out the day before and wasn’t able to lock it. She didn’t realize
anything was missing until Mrs. Thrash told her about the video. That’s really too
bad. That particular version is no longer in production, so it can’t be replaced. I am
sure it was here last week. The last time it was checked out was 2011 by a teacher
named Myrtle P. Quisenberry. Mrs. Quisenberry is no longer here, but when I saw
the video, it made me think of her. I wonder what she is up to these days?
Mrs. Thrash quickly went to Mrs. Chapman’s room to tell her about this strange
development. Instead of the Shakespeare Unit, the two teachers decided to enlist
the 6th Grade as crime solvers. We need your help so we can locate the missing
video and bring the villain to justice!
Student asks:
Who are some possible suspects who would be interested in this video? Post
Motives on wall and let students review
Johnny Pool - was seen hanging around the back of the Learning Commons. He
saw my plans and knew we were going to read the Taming of the Shrew. He even
asked if there was a movie for the play that he could watch.
Billy Toombs – He was mad at Mrs. Thrash because she marked his Eagle Card for
being late to class. He always complains that Mrs. Thrash has it out for him. It
would be just like him to do something to sabotage her plans.

Paul Peck - He has a thriving E-Bay business. He is always looking for collectables
and things to sell on E-Bay. I bet if we could figure out where to look for his E-Bay
store, we would see the movie right there for sale!

Layla Parmley – She is so done with school. She doesn’t want to anything hard and
when she heard we were going to study Shakespear, she freaked out. She was
even seen trying to open the door of the AV room last week. It was locked, so she
kicked it.
Lanie Lombard – Her older sister is in Highschool and is studying Shakespeare. She
runs around the house yelling “To be, or not to be? That is the question!” She is
driving everyone nuts, even the dog. Layla says if she hears one more thing about
Shakespeare, she’s moving to Australia.
Greta Stills – She is a practical joker. She loves to play jokes on her teachers. It
would be like her to hide the movie and then pop up with it at the last minute, or
hide it somewhere in a teacher’s classroom.
William McGillycuddy – He was upset with Mrs. Chapman yesterday because he
couldn’t find his homework and he got a zero. He said he did it, but the dog ate it.
Mrs. Chapman told him he should be more creative.
Juliette Romano – She LOVES all things Shakespeare. She collects anything she can
find that has anything about Shakespeare and would probably love to add an out
of print movie to her collection.
Max Salamander – Another practical joker, but sometimes his jokes go too far.
Once he “hid” his best friend’s ELA book in the trash can, and before they could
retrieve it, it got thrown away with the trash.
Savannah Weasel – When Mrs. Thrash was talking about the Shakespeare Unit,
she also said that in years past she ended the year with a poetry unit. Some
students said they would rather do a poetry unit, but Savannah REALLY wanted to
do the poetry unit. She was really disappointed about Mrs. Thrash’s decision to
study Shakespeare.
Harmony White – Lives by the philosophy, “The book is better than the movie.”
Like Johnny, she always watches the movie first.
Winston Cornelius – He was standing nearby when Mrs. Sultenfuss told Mrs.
Chapman that this was a rare version of The Taming of the Shrew. He is a big
collector of Hollywood memorabilia and he could have wanted it to expand his
collection

1) Students ask questions, take pictures, and sketch the crime scene.
 Books and videos pulled off the shelves
 Fingerprints
 Bad video because camera was moved – only captured the bottom of black
raincoat and black boots. Time stamp 5:08
 Strands of medium length wig hair
 Crumpled agenda page with several bathroom passes
 Chunks of mud
 Felt tip pen cap (blue)
 Space shuttle squishy
 Bow rosin

2. Watch Suspect Alibis

Students watch a video of the 12 suspects and take notes. From the video, they
should be able to eliminate several suspects
 Taped Alibis
Johnny Pool – I was serving detention with Mrs. Thrash. I got in trouble for beating
my pencils on the desk for the 100th time. She took points off of my agenda and I
was down to detention. She suggested I join the band and play the drums. But
yesterday I wasn’t playing the drums, I was sitting in detention staring at the clock
until 5:15 while Mrs. Thrash graded papers. It was so BORING and then she walked
me out to my car and spoke to my mom! I will never beat my pencils on the desk
in her class again.

Billy Toombs – I was supposed to stay after school for Coding Club, but they
announced that morning that it was canceled. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to
the announcements because I didn’t hear that, so when I went to the computer
lab, it was empty and the lights were out. I walked around some and looked for
the club. I looked in all of the rooms in the media center and the computer labs,
but then I gave up and called my mom to come and pick me up. She got here at
about 5:20.

Paul Peck – I stayed after to help Ms. Dawson with Helping Hands. We were
hanging up Carnival posters. There weren’t many of us that could stay yesterday,
so I was by myself down by the atrium by the media center coloring and hanging
up my posters. My mom came to get me after she picked up my brother around
5:15.

Layla Parmley – I was supposed to stay after school yesterday and go to Student
Council, but my mom called during the day and said I had to come straight home
and watch my little brother, so I ended up riding the bus. I was really mad because
I wanted to help make posters to advertise the carnival. I have the best
handwriting!
Laney Lombard – Yesterday was horrible. I went out at dismissal and my bus
wasn’t there! We waited and waited, and then Mrs. Paulk told us the bus would be
late because it had a flat tire. We all had to stand on the sidewalk while all of the
other busses pulled away. Our bus didn’t get there until almost 5 and I was late to
Lacrosse practice. I did run into the building to use the bathroom, but the rest of
the time I worked on my homework, texted my mom, and WAITED!

Greta Stills – I stayed after school with Mrs. Cole for tutoring. She helped me with
using FANBOYS to combine sentences and then we organized my notebook. We
were finished around 5:00. She let me keep the felt tip marker we were using, and
I went outside to wait for my grandma. She was late again because she always
goes to Pine Mountain instead of Lost Mountain!

William McGillycuddy – Yesterday my braces broke so my mom came and got me

at 2:00 to go to the dentist. I was mad because I missed Language Arts, my favorite
class, and I heard that they played Bingo for review and got candy!

Juliette Romano – We had Student Council yesterday. We were making plans for
the Carnival. It’s going to be really cool and I can’t wait. We were done at 5:15.
Some of us stayed to help hang posters, but I had piano practice, so I had to leave
as soon as it was over.

Max Salamander – I was supposed to stay after school to help Mrs. Chapman
clean up her room, but she couldn’t stay because her babysitter got sick and she
had to go and pick up her kids. I called my mom right after school, but she was at
the hair salon and couldn’t get to school until 5:30. I helped hang posters with
Helping Hands while I waited. I got lost wandering around the school and ended up
in some rooms I have never seen before! I did find two quarters, an eraser, and a
really cool marker while I was wandering around.
Savannah Weasel – Every day I am the last one out of the building, and every day
the teachers tell me to hurry because I will miss my bus, but I never do. Well,
yesterday I did. I found my field trip check and I dropped it off in black box, cut
through the media center, and then headed for the bus. I almost got to the door
when I remembered I forgot my brand new squishey. I couldn’t leave without it, so
I ran back to my math class to get it, but it was gone! The teachers were yelling at
me that I was going to miss the buss and then when I got outside, all I saw was the
back end of 20 school busses as they pulled away. I almost cried. I had all of my
books, my instrument, a project, and my P.E. clothes in my hands. I turned around
and lugged all of this stuff back to the office and started calling for a ride. My
parents didn’t answer their phone, my neighbor was out of town, and my grandma
was at the doctor. Finally my best friend’s mom answered the phone and she came
and got me, but it took forever. I’ll never be late again!

Harmony White – I am always a car rider, but my sister is always late. I am usually
the last one to be picked up. Yesterday my ride didn’t get here until almost 5:15. I
sat in the hot sun and even got a sunburn on my arms. You can see how red my
skin is. I’ll be so glad when I can drive myself!

Winston Cornelius – I stayed after school because I needed help tuning my violin. I
walked down to the music room and saw a note on the door that said Ms. Stevens
would be right back, she was at bus duty. I left my violin and went to the boy’s
bathroom. When I came back, she was there.

3. Read Witness Statements

Witness Statements
Witness 1
Max Salamander asked if we needed help hanging posters for the carnival and we
gladly accepted the offer. We gave him some posters, markers, and tape and sent
him down to the theater area. Later we noticed that there were no posters hung
up and they were in the trash can outside the boy’s bathroom. We also found a
wig in the trashcan.
Witness 2
I saw Paul Peck hanging around the media center. I said hi to him, but he just ran
off toward the 6th grade area. He looked like he had something under his shirt. He
usually doesn’t talk much anyway. He is so obsessed with his squishy collection.
Witness 3
Juliette Romano is on Student Council with me. Her mom came to pick her up early
and they called her over the intercom. She was already gone when we came
outside.
Witness 4
Billy Toombs was telling me in Science class about how we were going to read
Taming of the Shrew in ELA and how much he liked Shakespeare. He couldn’t wait
to start the unit.
Witness 5
I was on the late bus with Laney Lombard. Laney was mad about being late for
Lacrosse practice and after yelling about that a bit, went inside to use the
bathroom. Sammy took an empty backpack with her and when she came back, it
looked like it had something in it. She had also changed into her lacrosse uniform
and her shoes were really muddy. She was mad about that too, and she was
complaining that now she would have no time to practice playing her instrument.
She was really having a bad day!
Witness 6
I sat outside with Harmony Little waiting for our rides. It was so hot. My mom
came before her ride came, but when I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw her
getting into a car. It looked funny because it was a little convertible and she had a
big violin.

Witness 7
Savannah Weasel went all around the building begging people for a ride home.
Apparently she had missed the bus before and she knew she was in big trouble for
missing it today. None of us were going straight home after school or lived close
enough to her to help out. She was really mad and was kicking her stuff up the
hall. We all just stayed away. I even saw a squishy pop out of her bag, I’m not sure
if she saw it, but we were all too afraid of her to tell her about it.
Witness 8
Greta Stills came outside to wait on her ride after tutoring. She had a bunch of
markers in her hands and she wouldn’t let any of us touch them. She put them
down on the bench and told us not to touch any of them and walked back in the
building. She was gone for such a long time that when her ride got here, they had
to page her over the intercom. She came out of the building wearing a coat that
she didn’t have on before, scooped up her markers, and jumped into the car. She
never has been very nice.

Witness 9
Mrs. Yonkers, the pupil clerk said that according to the computer check out
system, William McGuillicuddy’s mom checked him out at 1:57. He left and didn’t
come back to school.
Witness 10
I was across the hall in Ms. Dawson’s room making posters. I went to Mrs. Thrash’s
room to borrow some tape. When I walked in, I saw Johnny Pool just sitting at a
desk staring at the clock. He looked miserable, so I was pretty sure he was serving
a detention.
Witness 11
Layla Parmely rode the bus home with me. She sat right beside me. I am sure
because she had a French horn and she almost pushed me out my seat because it
was so big.
Witness 12
I saw Winston hanging around the Dasani machine. He looked surprised when I
saw him. He had a green pen with the cap off in his hand and I think he was about
to write on the wall if I hadn’t walked up. He mumbled something about waiting
for Ms. Stephens and then he walked towards the orchestra room. I saw him
throw something in the trashcan by the boy’s bathroom as he went down the hall.

Crime Time
A B C D

Flip Flops Flip Flops Flip Flops Flip Flops

Heels Heels Heels Heels

Athletic Shoes Athletic Shoes Athletic Shoes Athletic Shoes

Boots Boots Boots Boots

Drums Drums Drums Drums

Violin Violin Violin Violin

Clarinet Clarinet Clarinet Clarinet

Tuba Tuba Tuba Tuba

Red Pen Red Pen Red Pen Red Pen

Blue Pen Blue Pen Blue Pen Blue Pen

Green Pen Green Pen Green Pen Green Pen

Purple Pen Purple Pen Purple Pen Purple Pen

Laney Laney Laney Laeny

Paul Paul Paul Paul

Max Max Max Max

Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah

 The person wearing boots also played the violin and carried a blue pen
 The person whose name was Savanah had a purple pen
 The person wearing the flip-flops was not named Laney or Paul
 Person B and Person D didn’t wear flip flops or heels and Person A and C didn’t have a
blue or purple pen
 Person C saw the person wearing Flip Flops and carrying a red pen and asked about the
math homework
 Person D saw the person who was carrying a violin running down the hall
 Person C was good friends with Laney
 The person who was played the clarinet was named Paul
 Person A did not play the Tuba because it was too loud and gave him/her a headache