Calendar:
Wednesday, 4 December – rough draft due in class for peer review
Friday, 16 December – final draft due to Edmodo
Instructions:
For this assignment, you will be using the scientific method to create lab reports in appropriate academic format. Because this is a writing class rather than a science class, we will be focusing more on the format, language and grammar of science writing than on any sort of scientific principles or phenomena. Therefore, I would encourage you to be creative with the nature of your experiment and to do something fun, interesting and not too difficult (for example, “The Effects of Stealing My Friend John’s Phone and Sending Romantic Texts to Other People’s Girlfriends on John’s Physical Safety”). The overall purpose of this assignment is to learn the basics of science writing in a fun, less-challenging environment.
Format:
Your lab report should include the following:
A title page including the title of your experiment, the name of your instructor and the date you are submitting the report
A one-paragraph introduction explaining the purpose or overall objectives of your research, should include one sentence stating your hypothesis. It might also be necessary here to include any background information necessary for your reader to understand your experiment.
A list of materials needed to complete your experiment. Depending on the nature of your experiment, there may be very little here.
A description of the methods or steps involved in your experiment. This should be detailed enough for anyone else to accurately reproduce your experiment.
A description of the results of your experiment presented in detail. Depending on your experiment, you may also include any numerical data you gathered in your experiment.
A short conclusion summarizing what happened in your experiment and explaining whether or not your hypothesis was correct. This may also describe the limitations of your experiment, especially if your hypothesis was not correct.
Grading:
This assignment is worth 100 pts will be graded using the 6+1 Traits of Writing and focusing on all traits, including Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions and Presentation.
Additional Information:
In class, we will be looking at lab report examples and focusing on appropriate language, word choice and sentence structure for science writing. I would recommend looking at other examples online and in your science classes.
GRADING
ESSAY
Rough Draft
[Peer Review]
Final Draft
