Writing Lab Reports (Formally and Informally)
Our AP Biology lab activities at Lincoln County are designed to provide a wide variety of experiences. Our AP Inquiry
Lab Investigations will help you gain enduring understandings of biological concepts and the scientific evidence that
supports them. The investigations will allow you to develop and apply practices and skills used by scientists. You will
make observations, ask questions, and then design plans for experiments, data collection, application of mathematical
routines, and refinement of testable explanations and predictions. As you work through your experiments, you will be
asked questions that assess how well you understand key concepts. Finally, you will communicate your findings and
your interpretation of them to your classmates and me, either via formal lab report or informal lab mini-poster and
presentations. Please refer to the Scientific Method Lab Report Rubric for details and examples of criteria.
You will be required to complete 2 formal lab reports each semester. Everyone will turn in their own formal report.
Remember this is your work, not someone else’s! So, please do not plagiarize.
Formal Lab Report Rubric
Lab: _____________________________________________
Date: __________________________
Name: ______________________________________________
Criteria
Members of Group: ____________________________________
Description
Possible
Points
I.
Title

Concisely explains the purpose of the investigation.
5
Example: The Effect of (A) on (B).
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Introduction

Background Information.

Hypothesis: “if….then…because…..” statement.
Materials and

Materials/Supplies listed.
Methods

Procedures (Methods) clearly stated.

Statistical Methods.

Dependent Variable

Independent Variable

Confounding Variables or Constants

Replication/Sample Size

Controls (Positive, Negative, and/or Base Line)

Organize Data (Table)

Data Analysis (Graph, Histogram)

Discuss implications of data. What does it mean?

Results compared to hypothesis and primary question.
Literature

Cited within Report.
Cited

APA Format
Results
Conclusions
Comments
10
20
30
30
5
Total Points
Earned
For all of the other Labs, you will be required to complete a Mini-Poster and Presentation as a group.
These still count as lab grades!
Informal Lab Mini-Posters and Presentations All informal Lab Mini-Posters will be presented to the
class.
The essential elements of a lab mini-poster are:
I.
II.
Title
Hypothesis
III.
Procedure (Steps of Experiment)
IV.
Results (Including Charts/Tables and Graphs)
V.
Conclusion
Informal Lab Mini Poster & Presentation Rubric
Lab: _____________________________________________
Date: __________________________
Names: _________________________________________________________
Criteria
Description
Possible
Points
I.
Title

Concisely explains the purpose of the investigation.
5
Example: The Effect of (A) on (B).
II.
Hypothesis

Hypothesis: “if….then…because…..” statement.
5
III.
Procedure

Procedures (Methods) clearly stated.
10

Data Table/Charts
40

Graphs
Conclusions &

Discuss implications of data. What does it mean?
Presentation

Results compared to hypothesis and primary question.
(Methods)
IV.
V.
Results
Comments
40
Total Points
Earned