1. Lesson 9 - Formal Lab Reports Student handout
What you need to include to get full marks on every lab report this year (easy marks)

2. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
PROBLEM
HYPOTHESIS
PROCEDURE
- step by step instructions on what you will be doing
DIAGRAMS
- any helpful diagrams of the test should be included
VARIABLES
- list the manipulated variable and responding variable
CONTROLS
- all of the controlled factors that have been accounted for
MATERIALS
- all materials used in the test should be included
OBSERVATIONS
- table of recorded observations
ANALYSIS
- any and all calculations, graphs and charts
- identify the key numbers in the graph (lowest, and highest)
CONCLUSION
- Restate you hypothesis & whether your hypothesis was correct or not
- Make a statement about “what you learned”

3. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 1 = PROBLEM
This is a simplified statement of what we plan on investigating.
Heading 2 = HYPOTHESIS
This is a carefully worded statement making the problem testable. State what your doing and what your looking for. Must be an “If / Than” statement.

4. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 3 = PROCEDURE
This will be the step-by-step instructions that you will follow to complete the lab. Each of the steps needs to be detailed. Don’t use words like “and” in the different steps. If you do, split that step into two different steps.
Example
We filled the cup with soil and then added 50 ml of water
What could we put down instead?

5. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 4 = DIAGRAM
Under this heading, include any diagrams that help explain the process followed during the experiment. Diagrams should take up a ½ page at least
Heading 5 = VARIABLES
In point form list 1) the Manipulated variable and 2) the Responding variable for the experiment Be as descriptive as possible

6. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 6 = CONTROL FACTORS
List all of the other possible control factors that you have accounted for in your procedure so that they stay the same from trial-to-trial.
Be as descriptive as possible and use measurements when you can
Heading 7 = MATERIALS
Under this heading, list all of the materials involved in this experiment. Be as detailed as possible. Also list any materials you used to observe and measure the results during the observation

7. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 8 = OBSERVATONS
Your observations will usually be in table format. The first column of the table will be for the manipulated variable and the second column (and other columns there after) will be for the responding variable(s)
Fertilizer added to lawn (kg/m²)
Length of grass after two weeks (cm) 1 2 3
Responding variable
Manipulated variable
UNITS!!!
UNITS!!!

8. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 9 = ANALYSIS
As part of the analysis, you will need to do any calculations that are required for the lab at this point (only if they are needed… many will not)
Following the calculations, you will need to produce a graph that displays the data
You will have to write a short paragraph for each graph. Explain the general trend of the graph using the proper terminology for the test.
Talk about the numbers in the graph by explaining what the lowest value was, what the highest value was, what the difference between them is, and if there are other key points in the graph and what their values are (includes spikes and drops)

9. Parts of a Formal Lab Report
Heading 10 = CONCLUSION
Your conclusion will be the last part of the lab report. It will always be weighted with the most marks.
For you Conclusion, you will do three things… Restate you hypothesis
- State whether you were correct or not
- Write a general statement about “what you learned” For some experiments you may be able to do this in only a few sentences, others will require a few paragraphs
Conclusions will be worth a lot of marks

10. Sports or Science!?!
If you have any questions please ask, other than that work well and remember… It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye, Then it’s a sport!