APES Lab Report Format
AP Environmental Science Lab Report Format
Purpose :
This is where you identify the problem that you are trying to solve. Tell us what you are attempting to discover through your research. You may want to tell us why this research is useful or important.
Background Information and Bibliography :
Every scientist gathers background information before they begin their research. Your background information will include lecture notes from your teacher, magazine, journal, internet articles, textbook chapters, and professionals heard in person, on TV, or on video tape. All sources of background information should be listed in detail. For example, if you read an article, you should identify the name of the article, the author, the publication in which it is found, and its date and volume number.
Hypothesis :
This should be a statement indicating what you think the results of your investigation will be.
Materials :
Please list the materials and equipment that you used during the lab. Whenever possible indicate the number of items used or the amount used. This list should be complete enough so anyone else could use this list and duplicate the lab.
Procedure :
This is an explanation of your experimental setup and the steps that you followed in conducting your observations or experiment. Along with written text, illustrations may be used here if they help to provide a clearer understanding for the reader. If your investigation involves an experiment, this is where you should identify your control, and both the independent and dependent variables.
Data Collection and Observation :
This part of your lab report where your raw data will be displayed. This is customarily done using a chart or table. Make sure your charts and tables are appropriately labeled. Use a straight edge ruler or computer when making your tables and make sure they are roomy enough for the data. There should also be room in this section of the report where you record observations and comments about what happened during your investigation.
Analysis :
This is the most important part of your report, and if your data can be graphed, please support your text with graphs that help to explain your analysis. If you are doing a team report, the analysis should be the result of the team discussion about the data and observations that you collected.
Conclusion:
Paragraph form should be used to explain what the data means. Did you observe any strong correlations, or cause and effect results? Why did things unfold and proceed the way they did? Did your results turn out the same as others?
What Did You Personally Learn from the Experiment :
Reflect on what this experiment did to further your knowledge either scientifically or personally.
Citations!
Purpose :
This is where you identify the problem that you are trying to solve. Tell us what you are attempting to discover through your research. You may want to tell us why this research is useful or important.
Background Information and Bibliography :
Every scientist gathers background information before they begin their research. Your background information will include lecture notes from your teacher, magazine, journal, internet articles, textbook chapters, and professionals heard in person, on TV, or on video tape. All sources of background information should be listed in detail. For example, if you read an article, you should identify the name of the article, the author, the publication in which it is found, and its date and volume number.
Hypothesis :
This should be a statement indicating what you think the results of your investigation will be.
Materials :
Please list the materials and equipment that you used during the lab. Whenever possible indicate the number of items used or the amount used. This list should be complete enough so anyone else could use this list and duplicate the lab.
Procedure :
This is an explanation of your experimental setup and the steps that you followed in conducting your observations or experiment. Along with written text, illustrations may be used here if they help to provide a clearer understanding for the reader. If your investigation involves an experiment, this is where you should identify your control, and both the independent and dependent variables.
Data Collection and Observation :
This part of your lab report where your raw data will be displayed. This is customarily done using a chart or table. Make sure your charts and tables are appropriately labeled. Use a straight edge ruler or computer when making your tables and make sure they are roomy enough for the data. There should also be room in this section of the report where you record observations and comments about what happened during your investigation.
Analysis :
This is the most important part of your report, and if your data can be graphed, please support your text with graphs that help to explain your analysis. If you are doing a team report, the analysis should be the result of the team discussion about the data and observations that you collected.
Conclusion:
Paragraph form should be used to explain what the data means. Did you observe any strong correlations, or cause and effect results? Why did things unfold and proceed the way they did? Did your results turn out the same as others?
What Did You Personally Learn from the Experiment :
Reflect on what this experiment did to further your knowledge either scientifically or personally.
Citations!
