When writing a report, follow the same basic steps of the writing process that you have used for other types of writing: prewriting (a prewrite frame), writing the first draft, revising/editing, and writing the final draft.

 

Prewriting:

□ Choose and limit a subject. (Ask your teacher for help.)
□ Gather your information, and take notes in your own words. (Remember to include your source 
    information on your note cards. You will need this to write your “Works Cited” or bibliography
    page.)

□ Organize the information using a prewrite frame. (You will need to add more transitions since your  report will be longer than four paragraphs.)

Writing the first draft:

□ Write the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
□ Use your prewrite frame to guide you as you develop your paragraphs.
□ Don’t worry about errors since you will correct these when you revise and edit.

Revising and editing:

□ Revising is looking at what you have said. How can you make it more interesting? Are 
   your facts and details accurate? Do you need to add or delete any details?
□ Editing is looking for any errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, etc.
   Have you indented your paragraphs correctly? Do you have fragments or run-on sentences?

Writing the final draft:

□ The final draft should be neatly written and free of errors. If it is handwritten, 
    write in blue or black ink (not pencil) and write on the front side of the paper only.   
□ Stay inside the margins on all sides of your paper. Use your most readable handwriting. If you type your report, set your computer to double-space. Set a one-inch margin on all four sides of the paper.  (Most computers will do this automatically.)
□ Choose a size 12 or 14 font that is easy to read. (Two good ones to use are Comic Sans or Times New Roman.) You must not type in italics unless you’re typing the title of a book. Neither should you choose a font that looks like all capital letters or type in all capital letters with the shift key locked down. (That is poor writing etiquette!)

□ Neatness counts! Your writing is a reflection of you and should show your best effort.
□ All pages of your report must be numbered starting with page two. (Do not number the cover page, title page, page one of the report, or the works cited page.) 

Parts of Your Report

(Place these in the order listed below.)

Title Page (or Cover Page) – This is the front cover of your report. It should contain the following information attractively placed on the page:

□ The title of your report
□ Your first and last name
□ The date (You may use the date you finished the report or the date it is due.)
□ The teacher’s name and the class title
□ You may add graphics to make the page more attractive, but don’t overdo it!

 The Report – Your report must have the following types of paragraphs:

□ The introductory paragraph should give the “big picture” of what your report will be about. It should contain a strong first sentence that will capture your reader’s attention and should also contain anybackground information the reader needs. The first paragraph must have a thesis statement that expresses the main idea or focus of your report.

□ The body paragraphs will make up the largest part of your report. They should support the main idea with specific information from your sources. Each paragraph will focus on a different point that supports your topic. Remember to write the information here in your own words. Don’t just copyfrom your source! That’s plagiarism and is considered to be breaking the law! L

□ The concluding paragraph sums up your report and should give your paper a good, strong ending.
□ About your model (or whatever visual aide you created for your project): At the end of your written report you must include a paragraph explaining why you chose to create the visual aide that you made. How does this visual aide show us more about your topic? What materials did you use, and how much time did you spend creating it?

□ Works Cited Page (or Bibliography) – This is the last page of your report. It is a list of all the 
    sources you used to write the report. Follow the examples below. Remember to list the sources in alphabetical order. 

Works Cited 

      Baumann, Elwood D. The Devil’s Triangle. New York: Franklin Watts, 2007. 

      Burgess, Robert F. “The Bermuda Triangle.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2005. 

      Egyptian Mummies. [Online] Available http://www.si.edu/resource/fac/nmnh/
              mummies.htm, October 19, 2001. 

      Gordon, James S. “What’s the Truth About the Bermuda Triangle?” Reader’s Digest.
              July, 2002: 75-79. 

      Remington, Christopher D. Personal interview. April 2010.

Note:

• The first example is a book, the second an encyclopedia, the third an Internet site, the fourth a magazine, and the fifth a personal interview.
• Some teachers may ask you to include a bibliography instead of a works cited page. You write the entries the same way.
• Notice how the entries are indented the opposite of the way you normally indent a paragraph.

 

 

KC - revised 2010