Social Awareness - Lesson Title: Advice Column, Part 1 Grade Level

Social Awareness

Lesson Title: Advice Column, Part 1

Grade Level: Middle School

Project and Purpose

Students analyze advice column letters and advice responses as basis for writing their own letters. They

will then select a letter that is not their own and write an advice response.

Essential Question

What is the benet of writing an anonymous letter to a columnist for advice? Explain your answer.

Note: This is part 1 of a two-part lesson. Students should be familiar with letter writing.

Materials

• Copies or slides of advice column examples (provided)

• 2-3 Large chart papers with title “Letter Topics” posted in different areas of the room

• Post-it notes and writing tools

• Paper or computers with writing programs and access to printers

• Envelopes

Teacher

1. Ask students if they have ever read or heard about advice columns. Explain that historically, advice

columns were found in newspapers. People would write in with their problems and the columnist

would do some research and respond. The most famous advice columnists have been Abigail Van

Buren of “Dear Abby,” Ann Landers of “Dear Ann Landers,” Judith Martin of “Miss Manners,” and

George W. Crane of “The Worry Clinic.” In England, newspapers had “agony columns,” and people

would write to “Agony Aunts” or “Agony Uncles” about their personal despair or love loss. Now advice

columns appear on the Internet and are targeted to specic groups, including young people.

2. Show the examples of Dear Abby and Dr. Web and ask students to make observations about what the

letters and responses have in common.

a. Students should notice that the letters usually:

• Identify the writer’s age and sometimes gender

• Identify the problem

• Usually use a pseudonym for the person who is causing the problem or just refer to them as “a

boy” or “a girl;” they never use real names

• Tell a brief story to illustrate the problem

• Ask for specic advice

• Use a signature that is either anonymous or just a rst name and an age; sometimes the

problem that is being expressed is used to create anonymous and/or clever signatures

b. Students should notice the advice letters usually:

• Restate the problem

• Offer a personal connection

• Analyze the problem, including identifying what is going right and what is going wrong with the

situation the writer described

• Give some research or context to the problem

• Oer one or two pieces of positive advice

3. Ask students to think about problems or challenges or issues that kids their age have every day.

Give or ask for several examples. These might include: dealing with people who are mean, wanting

a boyfriend/girlfriend, wanting to break up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, too much homework, not

understanding schoolwork, etc.

4. Distribute 2-3 Post-it notes to each student and tell them to write one problem with a few details on

it, but not to use specic names. In other words, if they want to talk about the person who constantly

teases them in the lunchroom, then write, “This one person always teases me in the lunchroom by

calling me Four-eyes.” If they want to talk about a specic boy/girlfriend, then write “There is a boy/

girl who likes my boy/girlfriend and always irts with them when I’m there.” These will be the basis for

a full letter to an advice column, but they don’t have to write the entire letter on the Post-it, only the

kernel of the problem. If students struggle with writing anything personal, ask them to write about an

issue they have observed in the school, their neighborhood, or in their community that concerns them.

This process should take no longer than ve minutes.

5. Have students post their concerns Post-it notes on the Letter Topic charts and read the notes aloud

OR have students peruse the charts in small groups.

6. Ask students to select one of the Post-it notes that is not their own from the chart. They will “ush out”

the ideas and write a “Dear...” letter to an advice columnist that follows the format of the examples.

7. Have students write the letter and collect them for the next session.

Conclusion

Ask students to discuss: What is the benet of writing an anonymous letter to a columnist for advice?

Notes

Advice Column Examples

Example from Dear Abby

Dear Abby,

I’m a 12-year-old girl. My friend

“Bailey” and I both like the

same boy but didn’t want him

to come between us. We made

a pact that we wouldn’t ask him

out.

Bailey can be selsh, and

I know she’d say yes if he

asked her. When I told her

my friendship with her meant

more to me than the boy, she

laughed and said that meant

she’d get him. I’m not sure what

to do. I have liked him longer

than she has, and I think he

likes me back. He knows me

much better at least.

If he asks me, should I say yes

and risk my friend getting hurt,

even though I know she’d say

yes in my place?

— A Reader in Missouri

Dear Reader in Missouri,

When you told Bailey your

friendship with her meant more

than the boy, her response

showed that your friendship is

less important to her than he

is, and the pact means nothing

to her. If the boy likes you,

he will probably ask you out

to do something. If he does

— and your parents agree —

you should accept. I say this

because I don’t think Bailey is a

true friend at all.

— Abby

Examples from Dr. Web

Example #1

Hi. I am extremely shy and

extremely quiet. Every one

will be in their groups talking

and I will be there by myself

and it sucks. I wanna be more

outgoing but the thing about

me is that if I don’t have

anything meaningful to say,

then don’t expect me to say

anything at all. I don’t wanna

change who I am, but I wanna

make more friends and get

closer to students in my class.

Can you tell me how to?

— Jay, 13

Dear Jay,

As someone who used to

be a shy introvert myself, I

completely understand where

you are coming from. You

don’t have to change who you

are to make more friends, but

you do have to show others

that you want to get to know

them better. Ask questions

since most people like those

who demonstrate an interest

in them. And express your

opinion when a topic comes up

that’s of interest to you. During

a group project, maybe you

could discuss a topic you know

well or have gured out a way

to help the group—something

that will be appreciated. I also

recommend asking a parent to

put you in a social skills group

for teens, a safe environment

for practicing these skills and

meeting other kids going

through similar struggles.

— Kim

Examples from Dr. Web

Example #2

My school was in the news

recently. It had to with school

safety, but now people in my

school are saying that now

our school is going to get

attacked. At rst I didn’t care.

Then I found out some people

had not come to school that

day because of it. That made

me a little scared. Now I am a

little worried. My parents tell

me everything is ne. I am still

worried. When I try to talk to

people about it for reassurance

they always say it is true. I really

just don’t know what to think.

Any advice?

— Smile, 11

Dear Smile,

I understand your fear since,

in recent years, there have

been many attacks in school

buildings. And with so much

news coverage, it’s easy to

become convinced that your

school will be next. However,

school is generally a very

safe place, and whatever led

to your school being written

about in the news, the situation

most likely has already been

taken care of. Your parents

are right to reassure you

that “everything is ne.” But

sometimes, taking action is

a way to reduce anxiety. You

might get together with other

students, and perhaps a group

of parents and teachers, to

discuss additional safety

measures that can be taken at

your school, and become part

of the solution.

— Dr. M.