A local newspaper has posted a job for a part-time writer. The writer will be responsible for responding to letters that teens have submitted to the newspaper. The editor is seeking out applicants who have knowledge about important issues for teens. You are a student writer who would like to be considered for this job.

The editor requires you to respond to a letter that has been submitted by a fictional teenager named "Stressed and Depressed". You will read and respond to it by writing an advice letter on your knowledge of healthy strategies for dealing with difficult situations.  When your letter is finished, you will email the document to Mr Baclawski using your Gaggle account.  Simply log in to your gaggle, click on send an email, and you can just copy and paste the letter into the body of the email.  Please type "depression letter" into the subject line of the email.  

Directions: Read and analyze the letter from "Stressed and Depressed".

Dear Editor,

     I am a stressed out 9 grade student. I am really struggling

with some things in my life. I feel worthless and sometimes wish I

had never been born. My parents are going through a divorce. I

am very close to both parents and feel like it is my fault that

they are getting a divorce. I feel that if I had been a better kid,

they would not have fought as much.

     I am also falling behind in school. I can’t get my assignment

done and they just keep piling up. So now my grades are

dropping. I got kicked off the basketball team because of my

failing grades but I don’t care. I don’t even like basketball

anymore. I just want to be alone. The team will probably do  

better without me any way.

     Last week, one of my friends noticed that I have been very

angry lately and asked me what was going on. I told my friend

about the divorce and the problems that I was having at school.

Also, how I don’t want to get up in the morning and I just want

sleep forever so the pain goes away. My friend told me that drugs

can make me feel better, but I have never used drugs. What

should I do? Can you help me?

Signed,

Stressed and Depressed

Directions: Write a 3-5 paragraph letter in the response to Stressed and Depressed. Your letter must contain:

1. Four warning signs of depression communicated in the letter.
- Identify four of the warning signs, and provide one sentence or phrase from the letter as evidence that the particular warning sign is being experienced.

2. Four different, reliable school or community resources that he or she may use to help deal with depression.
- Describe in detail how each of the four resources that you have chosen may help Stressed and Depressed deal with his or her depression.

Rubric #1:

Score ____ / 10

Rubric #2:

Score  ____ / 10                                                                         

Total ___________ / 20