Teen Suicide Research Paper
Extended English 9
Teen Suicide Research Paper – Instructions
After reading about the issue of teen suicide in our latest novel, Remembering the Good Times,
you are going to take on the task of further research on this topic. For the next two days, we’ll
be spending time in the media center, so that you can research teen suicide’s causes, warning
signs or ways to help someone who is suicidal. Once you have collected your research, you’ll be
organizing it into a formal research paper of at least five paragraphs that uses citations and has a
bibliography.
First step: Do this today!
Figure out if you want to research . . .
Causes of teen suicide (reasons why people think about/attempt it)
Warning signs of teen suicide (ways you can tell if someone’s thinking about it/planning to do it)
Methods to help someone who is suicidal (professional help, ways friends or family can help)
Second step: in the media center – day 1
In the media center, utilize both computer (internet and databases) and book sources to find
information on teen suicide’s causes, warning signs, or ways to help.
You’ll need at least three causes, three warning signs or three ways to help. Each one of
your three causes, warning signs or methods to help will become a body paragraph during
the drafting process.
You will need at least two sources; one must be a book or magazine and the second can be a
book, magazine, internet or computer database source.
Anytime you find something useful, take down all the source information on your note sheet and
take your notes from the source on that sheet. If you’re working on the computer and can print a
source, make sure you have all of the source info on the printed document, or fill out a source
sheet and staple it to your print-out.
If you’re writing down exactly what is printed in the text, make sure you put it in quotes. If you
are paraphrasing (putting something into your own words), you will still need the source
information in your paper, so make sure all of your sources are documented.
Third step: In the media center – day 2
Once you have at least two sources and you think you have enough information on three causes,
warning signs or ways to help to write a paragraph about each, you can start work on organizing
with your graphic organizer. Use it to help you set up the way your paper is going to be written.
If you notice that you don’t have enough information for any of your three body paragraphs, go
back to hunting for more sources and additional information.
Remember . . .
You need at least two sources – and one must be a book
You need three causes, warning signs of teen suicide, methods to help someone who is suicidal
and enough info on each for a full paragraph!
Teen Suicide Research Paper
Extended English 9
Note-taking Handout
*Use 1 per source! Document all source info because you’ll need it later!
Note: Not all sources will have all information*
Author:
Title(s) Article:
Book, database or website it comes from:
Book series:
Page number(s):
Date of publication:
Publishing company:
City in which it was published:
Web address:
Notes:
Teen Suicide Research Paper
Extended English 9
Citations and Works Cited
Citations
Citations are used in the text anytime you use an idea that isn’t an original thought of your own.
No matter whether you use a direct quote or paraphrase the text into your own words, if the
original idea came from your source, it needs to be cited! In order to cite a source, you will
reference it in parentheses after the sentence where you used the information from the source.
*See Language Network page 468 for the ways to cite different types of sources.
Works Cited
A Works Cited page is a list of all of the sources you used in a research paper. Your works cited
list will be short, as you only needed two sources, but knowing how to complete a Works Cited
page will help you as you move through higher grades and write more complex papers with more
sources. Depending on what the source is, you will make slight alterations to how you write the
Works Cited entry.
See Language Network pages 648-655 for instructions on how to write your Works Cited entries.
Write them out in any order on this page for practice. When you turn in the final draft of your
paper, you will need to have a Works Cited page that is set up properly with the entries in
alphabetical order.
*For examples of how citations look and how a Works Cited page look in finished form,
check out pages 457-458 which show an example of a finished research paper.
Practice your Works Cited entries here and ask for help if you don’t know which format to use!
Teen Suicide Research Paper
Extended English 9
Teen Suicide Research Paper Grading Rubric
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
1. Notes
Notes are
recorded and
organized in an
extremely neat
and orderly
fashion.
Notes are
Notes are
recorded legibly
recorded.
and are somewhat
organized.
2. Graphic
Organizer
Graphic organizer
or outline has
been completed
and shows clear,
logical
relationships
between all topics
and subtopics.
Graphic organizer
or outline has
been completed
and shows clear,
logical
relationships
between most
topics and
subtopics.
Graphic organizer Graphic organizer
or outline has
or outline has not
been started and been attempted.
includes some
topics and
subtopics.
3. First Draft
Detailed draft is
neatly presented
and includes all
required
information.
Draft includes all
required
information and
is legible.
Draft includes
most required
information and
is legible.
Draft is missing
required
information and
is difficult to
read.
4. Organization
Information is
very organized
with wellconstructed
paragraphs.
Information is
organized with
well-constructed
paragraphs.
Information is
organized, but
paragraphs are
not wellconstructed.
The information
appears to be
disorganized. 8)
5. Amount of
Information
3 possible causes
or 3 possible
warning signs are
covered in the
body of your
report, with fulllength and
detailed
paragraphs for
each cause or
sign.
3 possible causes
or 3 possible
warning signs are
covered in the
body of your
report, with
paragraphs for
each cause or
sign.
2 possible causes
or 2 possible
warning signs are
covered in the
body of your
report, with full
paragraphs for
each cause or
sign.
Only 1 possible
cause or 1
possible warning
sign was covered
in the body of
your report.
6. Quality of
Information
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic. It
includes several
supporting details
and/or examples.
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic. It
provides 1-2
supporting details
and/or examples.
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic.
No details and/or
examples are
given.
Information has
little or nothing to
do with the main
topic.
Notes are
recorded only
with peer/teacher
assistance and
reminders.
Teen Suicide Research Paper
Extended English 9
7. Sources
2 or more
relevant sources
are used.
2 sources are
used.
Only 1 source is
used.
No sources were
used.
8. Mechanics
No grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors.
Almost no
grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors
A few
grammatical
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
Many
grammatical,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
9. Final Draft
Detailed draft is
presented in pen
or typed and
double spaced,
including all
required
information.
Draft is presented
in pen or typed
and double
spaced, including
all required
information.
Draft is presented
in pen or typed
and double
spaced, but
missing some
required
information.
Draft is presented
but may not be in
pen or typed and
double spaced.
May also be
missing some
required
information.
10. Paragraph
Construction
All paragraphs
include
introductory
sentence,
explanations or
details, and
concluding
sentence.
Most paragraphs
include
introductory
sentence,
explanations or
details, and
concluding
sentence.
Paragraphs
included related
information but
were typically not
constructed well.
Paragraphing
structure was not
clear and
sentences were
not typically
related within the
paragraphs.
11. Citations
Each body
paragraph has
properly written
citations to cite
source material.
Each body
paragraph has
citations to cite
source material.
One or two body
paragraphs have
citations to cite
source material.
No body
paragraphs have
citations to cite
source material.
12. Works Cited
Pages
Two or more
sources are
properly recorded
in alphabetical
order on your
Works Cited
sheet.
Two sources are
properly recorded
on your Works
Cited sheet.
Two sources are
recorded on your
Works Cited
sheet.
Less than two
sources are
recorded on your
Works Cited
sheet.
Total _____/48
(+2/2 for handing your final draft in on-time, Monday 2-6-05)
Total _____/50