Formal Lab Report: Worms!
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Overview
 This is a formal lab report… we will be examining 3 worm phyla and it is your
job to complete a report highlighting each group we studied
 Due date: Monday December 17
General: [10 marks]
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Written in impersonal past tense (It was found that…) (1 mark)
It must be typed or written in pen (.5 mark)
Page numbers on bottom right corner (.5 mark)
Correct spelling and grammar (2 mark)
Must include the following sections in the following order (1 mark)
1. Title page
2. Introduction
3. Methods and Materials
4. Results
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
All sections must be identified by name
Lab Procedures (5)
 Lab is carried out with full attention to relevant safety procedures. The setup,
experiment, and teardown posed no safety threat to any individual.
 Used time well in lab and focused attention on the experiment.
 Paid attention to and followed the instructions given.
Title Page: [2 marks]
A Title Page should be included:
o The lab title including the genus and species names of the three
worms you will examine (1)
o Identification and the names of any partners (.5)
o The date, location and instructor’s name (Ms.Isenor) (.5)
Introduction: [15 marks]
The purpose of this section is to introduce the lab and provide the reader
with background information necessary to understand this lab.
1) Introduces general topic (a broad opening) (2)
Contains objective of the study (1)
“ To discover structure function relationships of and between the
Phyla Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, and Annelida”.
2) Your report must contain background information about the 3 worm groups
studied
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Describe unique or distinctive characteristics of Platyhelminthes (2)
Digestion, reproduction, nervous, respiration, circulation, excretion,
and body type (coelomate/pseudocoelomate/acelomate)
Describe unique or distinctive characteristics of Nematodes. (2)
Digestion, reproduction, nervous, respiration, circulation, excretion,
and body type (coelomate/pseudocoelomate/acelomate)
Describe unique or distinctive characteristics of Annelids. (3)
Digestion, reproduction, nervous, respiration, circulation, excretion,
and body type (coelomate/pseudocoelomate/acelomate)
Describe what it takes to be a successful parasite (3)
What are some body changes that allow Platyhelminthes and
Nematodes to become parasitic?
What are some human disorders caused by these parasites?
Supports information with references (2)
“Flame cells contain flagella that beat together to create negative pressure
within the flatworm that allows for filtration of nitrogen wastes out of the body
(Millar and Lavine, 2008).”
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Use your own words  NO PLAGIARISM include references (Author, year)
listed next to the all information that you personally did not discover for the
scientific community.
Methods and Materials: [3 marks]
Provides enough information to repeat the experiment
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Part A: Platyhelminthes (1)
o Reference the lab procedure sheet
Part B: Nematodes (1)
o Reference the lab procedure sheet
Part C: Annelida (1)
o Reference the lab procedure sheet
Results: [8 marks]
1) Written summary of data collected (2)
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Introduces this section with words, describe the data collected.
First introduce data collected from Platyhelminthes, then Nematodes and
then Annelids.
Draw attention to your figures by mentioning it in a sentence.
“The complex digestive system of an annelid was seen (figure 3).”
2) Figures (6)
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A scientific drawing of the Platyhelminthes you saw
All figures must have a figure title (Figure 1: Platy…), scale, all parts
are labeled to one side of drawing, must be completed in pencil.
A scientific drawing of the Nematode you saw
All figures must have a figure title (Figure 2: Nemato…), scale, all parts
are labeled to one side of drawing, must be completed in pencil
A scientific drawing of the Annelid you saw
All figures must have a figure title (Figure 3: Annel…), scale, all parts
are labeled to one side of drawing, must be completed in pencil
Discussion: [18 marks]
This is the most important part of your report. It shows me that you
understand the experiment. This is where you analyze and interpret
the results of your experiment. Analysis and interpretation can`t be
done in two or three sentences. Don`t try !
Interprets and discusses results (15)
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Addresses objective and major findings
This is where you will compare what you saw, to what you said in your
introduction (So talk about the different systems you saw).
o For example “It was found, during the Oligochaete dissection, that the
crop was full of dirt, this is because food and soil are stored here before
moving into the gizzard (Millar and Lavine, 2008).”
Relate your findings to the increasing complexity’s of the different Phylum’s.
I also want you to talk about different ecological roles of these worms
Include possible sources of error (1)
 Your worm is only one species of that phylum
 Maybe you did not dissect your worms very well and could not see much
Concluding statement
 A few sentences summarizing your results, and how you met your objective.
(1)
 Suggests ideas for future research (1)
References: [4 marks]
Minimum of 2 references (no Wikipedia!) (2)
Correct reference and citation style (2)
HOW TO REFENCE IN TEXT, AND IN YOUR REFERNCE SECTION
In text:
Each reference must be cited in the text using the surnames of the authors and the
year.
One author…. (Smith, 1998) or According to Smith (1998)
Two authors …. (Smith and Brown, 1998)
More then two authors …. (Smith et al., 1998) using the name of the first author
listed.
In Reference section:
Author’s names will appear in the same order as listed in book, or journal. Authors
names must be listed surname first, then first name initials.
Book:
Name(s) Year. Title. Publisher, location.
Journal:
Name(s) Date. Title. Journal. Volume (issue): pages.
Website:
www.coolwebsite.com accessed on December 8 2012.