Lab Report Instructions
ARISE
GM Foods
The Lab write-up is the culmination of your experiments and is therefore very important. Even if you have not
finished collecting the data, you can start with the write-up and save some time later when you finish getting
data and analyzing it. Everyone will be required to write up their lab separately, you may work with group
members or others in the class, but this must be your individual writing, no copying!!! This lab report does not
have to be typed, but it is a good idea and makes changing something much easier.
Notice that the write-up is in paragraph form. NOT QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT. It should be
written so that the reader can duplicate the activity and results if they so desire
So lets begin!
1. You should always start with a HEADING INFO. The following items are required on your title page:
• Your Name and Period
• Title of lab
• Who you worked with
• Teacher’s Name
2. For the first part of your write up, there is the INTRODUCTION. This is where most students tend to lose
points, so be careful! For this lab, your introduction will consist of background information, observations or
questions and your hypothesis for what you expect.
In a few words tell what you already know or have found about the problem that will let you make an
educated guess. This is your background information from the text, teacher, or other sources. It gives
the reader an understanding of underlying principles and content information of the laboratory.
http://www.donnayoung.org/apologia/ecw/lab/labhow-cr.htm
• Introduce the lab by stating the purpose of this lab
• Explain what Genetically Modified foods are
• Include your hypothesis at the end to explain what you expect (The hypothesis can be stated as
an "If..., then..." statement. The 'If' part of the statement is based on related facts that you
know to be true. The 'then' part of the statement is an educated guess on the outcome of the
experiment. The hypothesis does not have to guess the correct outcome, but the experiment
must be set up to test the hypothesis.)
Here is a sample hypothesis for this lab:
The purpose of this lab was to determine if vegetables found in our cafeteria have the transgene
that makes them resistant to the herbicide Round-up.
3. Next is the MATERIALS AND METHODS, everything should be done in paragraph form, as with the
introduction.
• Give a detailed, but brief account of how you extracted DNA from the foods.
Include quantities of solutions and temperatures for each step
• Explain what primers you used for the PCR and what cycles were run on the thermocycler
• Explain what controls and replications exist
4. Don’t forget about the RESULTS section.
• Include a nice picture of your electrophoresis gel, labeled as to what samples are in which lanes.
Include observations: measurable information that comes to you through your senses
• Explain what your controls showed and each of your samples (ie. Did the positive control show the
correct size PCR band?)
5. And last, but the most important: your analysis of the data and CONCLUSIONS.
• Explain what you found about the foods
• State whether this supports your hypothesis and explain how.
• Indicate where problems or sources of error occurred or things that were not expected and give
suggestions for changes in your next experiment.
• Come up with some new questions or hypotheses that you thought of during or as a result of
this experiment.
You will be graded on this assignment with the following rubric so keep these in mind.
After you have written the lab report, read through it and give yourself a grade for each of the sections,
marking this on the rubric and turn this in with your lab report.
Name:
Date:
(1) what were
you thinking?
(5) excellent work
(4) good work
(3) almost there (2) not quite
Introduction
and
Hypothesis
Association between
the problem and the
predicted results is
direct and relevant and
supported by previous
learning.
All variables are clearly
explained.
Hypothesis clearly
refutes or defends
established knowledge
and is fully supported.
Student demonstrates
facility in the use of
scientific concepts and
vocabulary.
Grammar, spelling, and
presentation are
faultless.
Association between
problem and
predicted results.
Made attempt to
explain key
variables
Hypothesis has
some relationship to
established
knowledge but is not
supported.
Scientific concepts
and vocabulary
used, but contains
errors.
Noticeable errors in
grammar, spelling or
scientific vocabulary
usage.
Unreasonable
association between
problem and predicted
results.
Hypothesis weakly
addresses the problem
and is not based on
previous learning.
Results are not
supported.
Defends or challenges
established knowledge
Scant use of scientific
concepts and
vocabulary.
Noticeable errors in
grammar, spelling.
Methods
and Results
All significant data
measured, Appropriate
controls explained.
Data recorded
effectively and
efficiently.
Data table is welldesigned, easy to read
and appropriate.
Reasonable association
between the problem
and the predicted
results.
Key variables are
operationalized
Hypothesis has a
reasonable relationship
with established
knowledge; this
relationship is generally
supported.
Scientific concepts and
vocabulary used
without significant
error.
Grammar, spelling and
presentation has few if
any flaws.
All significant data
measured, Appropriate
controls included.
Data recorded
effectively and
efficiently.
Data table welldesigned and
appropriate to the task
requirements.
All significant data
measured.
Appropriate controls
missing.
Data recorded
effectively
The data table is
relevant to the task
requirements
Most data are
collected, lacks
controls.
Data are recorded in a
manner that threatens
reliability
Data table incomplete
or contain
inconsistencies
Data are
inaccurate
Data are
haphazardly
recorded
Data table missing
Analysis and
Conclusions
Analysis is complete
and accurate.
Conclusion precisely
stated, relates directly
to support or refute the
hypothesis.
Conclusion relates the
study to general
interest, other studies
that have been or could
be conducted. Suggests
further studies based on
findings.
Conclusion precise,
related to the
hypothesis
Conclusion attempts
to translate the
conclusion to make
it relevant to the
original problem
The conclusion
related to general
interest and other
studies
Analysis lacks
cohesion. Conclusion
too general or overreaches the data
analysis
Conclusion uses the
language of the
experiment but does
not translate.
conclusion to its
relevance to the
original problem.
Inconclusive, or
conclusion not
warranted by data
analysis.
Impossible to
understand if
hypothesis
supported or
refuted.
Analysis is complete
and accurate.
Conclusion precisely
stated, relates directly
to support or refute the
hypothesis.
Conclusion relates the
study to general
interest, other studies
that have been or could
be conducted
Lacks hypothesis.
Proposed
resolution to the
problem is not
supported by
previous learning.
Excessive errors
in grammar,
scientific
language usage, or
spelling.
Teacher
evaluation
Student
evaluation
Total