Technical Writing and Lab Reporting Objectives: Learn how to learn from graded work Understand the importance of developing good writing habits now Further develop lab reporting skills Review peers’ work to develop better writing habits

Titling Engineer’s Computation Paper LETTER On first of multiple page entries LAST NAME, FIRST NAME TITLE OF WORK 17-SEP-10 Page 1 of 4 On later pages of multiple page entries Page 3 of 4

Get Organized Organize your class notebook Handouts first, in chronological order Note sheets second Returned work last, in chronological order Group all sheets in each section prior to current working sheets with a paperclip The very first note sheet should be blank and titled “Lessons from Mistakes” LAST NAME, FIRST NAME LESSONS FROM MISTAKES 04-SEP-10 Page 1 of 1

ASSIGNMENT / ASSESSMENT Lessons From Mistakes LAST NAME, FIRST NAME LESSONS FROM MISTAKES 04-SEP-10 Page 1 of 1 ASSIGNMENT / ASSESSMENT Friedman/Florida Essay Trig/Algebra Quiz LESSON LEARNED Use superscript numbers for in-text citations Back up my statements with evidence from references Follow instructions (double-space 3-5 pages) Always begin by assigning variables Write legibly Use extension and dimension lines

Mr. Scott’s Markup Symbols Req’d – required Req’t – requirement WC – word choice; revise phrasing/terminology Ok – I had an issue with it, and either Something else you wrote made it clear I still have an issue with it, but it’s not incorrect ? – I don’t understand ¶ - start a new paragraph here (My suggested rephrasing is only one possibility)

Lessons From Mistakes Spend a few minutes going through your returned work and fill out your “Lessons from Mistakes” table What can you learn from your Introductory Essay? the Trig/Geom/Algebra Assignment? the Trig/Geom Quiz? If you add all your “lessons” to the beginning pages of your notes, you’ll always be reminded of good engineering writing and problem solving practices. And it’s a quick reference to help you develop your skills as an engineer. Don’t condemn yourself to repeating the same mistakes.

Friedman/Florida Lessons Proofread! Get someone else to read through your work as much as possible. Introductory paragraph(s) should layout structure of essay, probably including your main argument (thesis). Direct quotes need quotation marks, otherwise it’s plagiarism. Quotes of five or more lines should be formatted uniquely. Keep digging until you get to the root of a problem – anyone can see the limbs and branches. Your solution should contain at least as much depth as the problem you’ve identified. Poor sentence/paragraph/essay structure weakens your ideas. Opinions do not need citations; facts and blanket statements do. If you’re stating fact, cite the reference that proves it’s fact. If you’re sharing an idea that’s not yours, cite the reference.

Technical Writing Notes Previous Handout – H15 Mousetrap Design Previous Handout – H9 Lab Reporting Course Website File – H10 Lab Reporting Supplement Sample Lab Reports

Pendulum Lab Sit with your Pendulum Lab partner. You will be given your report – review it and check for errors. Grading: Grammar, aesthetics – ~15% Abstract – ~5% Introduction – ~10% Procedure – ~10% Results – ~25% Discussion/Conclusion – ~25% Acknowledgements Appendices ~10% References Title In ~5minutes, you will trade with another group and you will proofread their report. Pay close attention to Discussion/Concl. Final Pendulum Lab Report due Tuesday – hard copy, turned in at the beginning of class.

Assignment Final Pendulum Lab Report due Thursday You will be completing a team-member evaluation Technical Drawing Lab due Monday Oct-11 Remote Measurement Lab Report due Monday Oct-11 Unit 1 Test Monday and Tuesday 18-Oct and 19-Oct