Introduction to LAB Reports North Carolina State University ©2004 Labwrite Project

The Function of a LAB Report Establishes the purpose of the lab Allows you to analyze a scientific concept Gives you an opportunity to write scientifically in a format very similar to that used by scientists Documents what you have learned Before showing this slide, ask students to tell you what they think a lab report is and why they should write one.

Parts of LAB Report Title: What is the report about? Abstract: What is the essence of the report? Introduction: What is the context in which the experiment takes place? Materials & Methods: What did you do and how did you do it? Results: What did you find? Discussion: What does it mean? Conclusion: What have I learned? References: What sources were used? Before showing this slide, ask students to tell you the parts of the lab report. Each click will reveal a part. Discuss as a class what each part does.

Comparison of the Scientific Article and the LAB Report Lab Reports Scientific Article Writer Students Professional scientists Subjects Mostly frequently repeated experiments Original experiments Reader Teacher and/or class peers Other scientists Purpose To learn something about science To contribute knowledge to science Before showing this slide, ask students if they know the difference between lab reports and scientific articles. Discuss as a class.

Getting Started with Lab Reports Analyzing a Sample Lab Report: Obtain a sample lab report In a group, analyze the report using “Guide for Analyzing a Laboratory Report” Be prepared to discuss with the class 1-Pass out a sample lab report and “Guide for Analyzing a Laboratory Report” (both can be found in the INTRODUCTION TO LAB REPORTS section of the LabWrite Instructor’s Site. 2-Put students into groups and either assign each group analyze one part of the lab report, or have each group analyze the entire lab report. 3-Have an open discussion where groups share what they learned during this activity.