Written Report (50 points)
• Formatting Requirements:
o Minimum Length: 3 pages.
o Text: Times New Roman, 12pt font.
o Margins: 1" top, bottom, right, and left.
o Spacing: Double Spaced (Spacing Before and After=0pt, ‘Line Spacing'=Double).
• Content Requirements:
o Written as a scientific report.
Make a title (it doesn't have to be anything fancy).
Headings: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion
Proper grammar (capitalization, complete sentences, no contractions)
o 2 Charts AND 2 Graphs: the charts depict the information in the graphs. These do not count towards the total number of pages.
At least 1 Graph (and chart) must concern your hypothesis.
Each person must make their own graphs.
Graphs must include information from all samples in the group.
o Address the following in your write-up (failure to do so will result in a deduction of points):
A brief description of the background of the ISU Community Gardens.
What was your hypothesis? (
What was your testing strategy?
How many samples were collected?
What were the results of soil texture FOR ALL SAMPLES IN THE GROUP?
What were the results of the soil chemistry test FOR ALL SAMPLES IN THE GROUP?
What was the soil color of ALL SAMPLES IN THE GROUP?
Did the results of the tests you performed on all group samples confirm your hypothesis? Why or why not?
Did your group have to change your hypothesis at any point? If so, when?
o IF you use outside sources (i.e. articles, web pages, etc.) in your write-up, these MUST be cited in the paper (in the case of APA, (Author, year)) and in a ‘works cited' page at the end of the document (any formal style (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. is acceptable). Failure to do so will result in a point deduction.
As usual, plagiarism will NOT be tolerated.
• Information to Include
o Hypothesis
o Testing Strategy
o ALL test results (for the group)
o Conclusions from your study:
What do your results say about Wabashiki?
Did your results confirm your hypothesis? Why or why not?
o Graphs are always nice (hint, hint!)
o If your group took pictures while on-site (it was not a requirement), feel free to include these in the presentation as well.
Introduction
This is where you introduce the Wabashiki wetlands (as an introduction for the reader; in this case, the reader is yours truly). You should explicitly write out your hypothesis (for this paper, it'll be your thesis statement); don't do something like "Hypothesis: blah, blah, blah..." as if it's a bullet point. As in the typical five-paragraph essay, after making your thesis explicit, provide a brief overview of how the structure of the paper will be set up.
Methods
This is where you describe how testing was conducted in the field (sampling strategy and the tests you conducted while in the field), as well as how other tests were conducted in class. DO NOT take up a lot of room in the your paper describing how you took your samples home in their little baggies and opened them up for a week; you SHOULD mention this, of course, but I don't need the details of how you opened it up in front of a fan to speed up the drying process, or how your cat played with it while you were away from home.
Results
In this section, you will discuss the result of the tests you performed on each of your group samples: soil texture, soil chemistry, soil pH, Munsell Color Results, and, if applicable, XRF results. Because your graphs depict the results of your tests, I recommend that your charts and graphs be placed IN THIS SECTION.
Discussion and Conclusion
This is where you give meaning to the numbers you regurgitated in the previous section; what do the results mean? Were they what you expected to see, or were they surprising? If they were surprising, how so? Did you have to change your hypothesis? If so, why? What did you learn from this experience?