The Lab Report That Lost Its Reader
A Grade 7 student, Dev, submits a lab report on a paper-towel absorbency test. The report begins: "So first we got the paper towels and then we did the test and it was really fun and then we found out which one was best." The method section lists materials but not the steps. The results section contains one sentence: "Brand B was the best." Dev's data table, stapled at the back, shows three trials per brand with measurements in milliliters. Dev explains that he ran out of time and that the table "has everything anyway." The report is graded on organization, completeness, and clarity, and the teacher must decide whether the attached table can substitute for written results.
1. Diagnose the three biggest weaknesses in Dev's report, using specific evidence from the description.
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First, the introduction is a narrative of events rather than a statement of purpose. "So first we got the paper towels..." tells the reader the order of Dev's actions but not what question the test answered or what was being compared.
Second, the method is incomplete. Listing materials without steps means no reader could repeat the test. The number of trials appears only in the table, not in the procedure, so the method and the data are disconnected.
Third, the results are a single evaluative sentence. "Brand B was the best" hides the measurements and does not define "best" (most water absorbed? least? fastest?). The data table contains the evidence, but the report never tells the reader what the numbers show or how they support the conclusion.
The common thread is that Dev treats the report as a record of what he did rather than a document a stranger could use to understand and repeat the test.
2. Dev argues that the attached table 'has everything.' Evaluate that argument.
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The table has the raw measurements, so it does contain the evidence, but it cannot substitute for written results for three reasons.
First, a table does not state a conclusion. The reader must compute averages and compare them to learn that Brand B absorbed the most. Dev's job is to do that interpretation and present it, not to leave the work to the reader.
Second, "best" is undefined. The table shows milliliters absorbed, but a reader cannot tell whether Dev's criterion was total volume, consistency across trials, or something else. The written results must name the criterion.
Third, the table is stapled at the back rather than integrated. A report should refer to its table in the text (for example, "as shown in Table 1, Brand B absorbed an average of..."), so that the reader knows where to look and why.
Dev's argument is understandable, since the data are present, but presence of data is not the same as reporting results.
3. Propose a revision plan with a concrete sentence for each weak section, and explain how it addresses the grading criteria.
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Introduction: replace the narrative with a purpose statement. "This test compared how much water three brands of paper towel absorbed, to find which brand absorbed the most." This addresses organization by signaling the question up front.
Method: add numbered steps. "1. Cut each towel to 10 cm by 10 cm. 2. Dip the towel in 50 mL of water for 10 seconds. 3. Measure the water remaining and subtract from 50 mL. 4. Repeat three times per brand." This addresses completeness, because a reader could now repeat the test.
Results: state the finding with the criterion and a reference to the table. "Brand B absorbed the most water, averaging 38 mL across three trials, compared with 29 mL for Brand A and 31 mL for Brand C (Table 1)." This addresses clarity, because "best" is replaced by a defined measure and the evidence is cited.
The plan works because each revision maps to one grading criterion, so Dev can see why each change matters rather than making edits to satisfy the teacher. The teacher should also require Dev to keep the table but add the in-text reference, so the data and the prose connect.