21 Report Writing

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B

NE ELA Standard:

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Traits of Writing

Page 287 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Summary Report

Review with students the guidelines for writing a summary report. Then consider these assignment options:

Assign a single article or chapter for the whole class, connecting the piece with a project, a visiting speaker, and so on. Discuss with students the reason for the selection.
Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group an article or a chapter. Make the assignment collaborative.
Allow students to choose their articles or chapters for summarizing. Provide guidelines on length and types of material.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 288 from Write for College

Summary Report

Read the sample summary report as a class. Point out how the writer captures the main idea of the article and paraphrases specific ideas that support it. (You can read Einstein's letter here.)

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B

NE ELA Standard:

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Writing Reading Writing Project

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Summary Report Report

21st Century Skills:

English Language Arts:

Writing Reading

Page 289 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Compiled Report

Discuss the purpose of compiled reports. Provide the following advice:

Choose a subject that is current, focused, and interesting to you (perhaps a recent development in technology, popular culture, the environment, or the arts).
Think of a compiled report as a summary of the available knowledge on a subject. Seek a rich variety of credible sources from the library and online. Make careful notes of the source material including the title, author, and publishing information, which will need to be included in a works-cited page.
Focus the report around your conclusions about the material’s meaning.
Remember that unlike a traditional research paper, a compiled report does not involve formulating an original thesis and developing a lengthy argument in its support.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B

NE ELA Standard:

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Writing Writing Project Writing to Learn

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English Language Arts:

Writing Writing Process

Page 290 from Write for College

Compiled Report (Student)

Read aloud the first page of "To Hear or Not to Hear." Point out how the writer uses source material to open the report in an interesting way and lead up to a thesis statement.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 291 from Write for College

Compiled Report (Student) (Cont.)

As you finish reading the sample report, note the special formatting for the long quotation that begins the new page. Direct quotations that cover more than four typed lines should be set off from remainder of the text on a new line, with each line of the quotation being indented. Reference pages 283 and 326 for more information on long quotations.

Also note that throughout the paper the writer follows MLA style when citing source material (pages 317–334).

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 292 from Write for College

Compiled Report (Professional)

Ask students to read the professional report, noting examples of statistics and anecdotes used to support the thesis. Ask for volunteers to cite examples from the text. Then discuss the writer's use of transitional words and phrases between paragraphs (focus on the first sentences of new paragraphs). Mention that these transitions not only make for smooth, cohesive reading but they also magnify how one main supporting idea connects to the next.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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21st Century Skills:

Reading Reading to Learn

English Language Arts:

Page 293 from Write for College

Compiled Report (Professional) (Cont.)

Read the remainder of the report and side-note material. Note that, like the student report, the professional model follows MLA style.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 294 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing an Interview Report

Interview reports give students an opportunity to complete primary research. You can assign an interview report as a stand-alone project, or you can integrate the report into a larger project, such as a research paper or more extensive group research project. To introduce interview reports, recite the following quotation to students:

“The chief reward of [interviewing] is the joy of learning, of coming away from each person with a wider angle of vision on the time I live in.” —Bill Moyers

Review the writing guidelines with students. If possible, bring in sample magazine, newspaper, or online reports that feature strong interviews. Make sure students understand that an interview report goes beyond a transcript of the interview. It should also include contextual information about the interview subject, a description of the subject and interview setting, and, perhaps, personal thoughts and reflections of the writer.

For additional interviewing tips, refer students to page 260.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.1112.W.3.7

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.11, 110.39.c.11

NE ELA Standard:

LA 12.2.2.c

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Interview Report Report

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Writing Project

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Writing Writing Process

Page 295 from Write for College

Interview Report

Read aloud the first page of "The Dead Business." Make particular note of the information in the side notes. Express to students that unlike traditional reports, which are written in a formal, academic tone, interview reports may be written with a personal or informal voice, characterized by frequent uses of first-person pronouns, colloquial expressions, and reflective thoughts and feelings.

Also note that the writer does not present the interview in a traditional question-and-answer format. Instead, he creates a narrative with a beginning, middle, and ending.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Report Interview Report

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Page 296 from Write for College

Interview Report (Cont.)

Continue reading the sample report and side notes. Point out how the report effectively blends explanatory and narrative elements. In the first few paragraphs, the writer cites helpful background information about the topic. In the last few paragraphs, the writer uses sensory details to paint a clear picture of the interview setting.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 297 from Write for College

Interview Report (Cont.)

Read aloud the final page of the report and side notes. Focus on how the writer weaves in the interview responses with observations and personal reflections.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Mode:

Form:

Interview Report Report

21st Century Skills:

English Language Arts:

110.38.c.10.A, 110.39.c.10.A

Page 298 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing an Observation Report

Before leading students through the writing guidelines, discuss the purpose of observation reports, which aim to share the feelings and sensations of being in a particular place at a particular time. Help your students develop their observation skills by stressing the following:

Observe actively, not passively. Work on employing all five of your senses in the act of observation.
Avoid trying to be purely objective. Observation activates the senses, mind, and heart—engaging emotions, reason, and imagination. Saturated with impressions, observers become filters for experiences. (Consider sharing the following post on activating the five senses.)
Aim to make the unfamiliar familiar or the familiar fresh. Taking the reader inside the experience involves detailed and suggestive description, carefully chosen comparisons, and focused reflection on the experience’s impact and meaning.
Take both yourself and your reader out of your comfort zones.

For their own observation reports, suggest a topic or allow students to choose their own. One possible assignment could be to have students report on their experience observing a public location—a basketball court, park, coffee shop, sporting event, and so on.

Downloads:

Sensory Chart

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.1112.W.1.3

TEKS Standard:

NE ELA Standard:

LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

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Observation Report

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Writing Project Writing

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Page 299 from Write for College

Observation Report

Before reading the sample report, hand out a blank sensory chart. Have students fill in the chart with different sensations from the report. As they read, they should consider these questions:

Does the report include details for all five senses (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch sensations)?
Do the details paint a vivid picture of the experience?
Does the writer help me feel like I'm part of the service trip?
Is the writing voice appropriate for the topic?

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Sensory Chart

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 300 from Write for College

Observation Report (Cont.)

Read through the second page of the report. Make special note of the writer's use of quotations and local color.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

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Page 301 from Write for College

Observation Report (Cont.)

Read the final page of the sample observation report, highlighting the writer's use of personal thoughts and reflections. Ask students to consider how the tone of the report would change without these details.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

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Page 302 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Personal Research Report

Open your discussion about personal research reports with a quotation from Lu Po Hua: "Where there is curiosity, a mouse may be caught." Ask students what they think the quote means and how it relates to research writing. Then provide them with some context about the form.

As the name suggests, a personal research report combines elements of personal and report writing by presenting the writer’s experience of researching a personally important topic. It is a less formal version of a traditional research paper, but that doesn't mean it is any less rigorous. Students need to use their best research skills, including exploring experiences, remembering, interviewing, and observing.

Before reviewing the writing guidelines, suggest the following strategies:

Approach your research as a quest. The topic must be personally important, one rooted in a deep curiosity or concern.
Strive to use primary sources for your research—experiences, memories, observations, interviews, surveys, even experiments. Secondary or tertiary research should supplement this primary research.
Focus on the research journey, pointing out discoveries made along the way.

If you don't have a general topic idea in mind for students' reports, suggest one of the following topics:

An illness, a fear, a disability, a social attitude, a weakness, a memory, or a loss that has affected the student's life or development
An element of local history—the origins, development, and future of the student's neighborhood, city, or county

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B

NE ELA Standard:

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Personal Research Report Report

Form:

21st Century Skills:

Researching Writing Project

English Language Arts:

Writing Process Writing

Page 303 from Write for College

Personal Research Report

As a class, begin reading the sample personal research report. Show how the reader creates tension by introducing a problem and relating it to her own life. Point out that the beginning part of all personal research reports should introduce a problem or query that somehow relates to the writer's personal life. Put another way, the opening should create an itch that can only be scratched with more information.

Also point out how the sample paper moves from the personal to the academic. It starts with an anecdote and moves to facts and statistics from sourced material.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Personal Research Report

21st Century Skills:

English Language Arts:

Page 304 from Write for College

Personal Research Report (Cont.)

Read through the second page of the paper. Pick out a paragraph and show how it mixes the personal and academic.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Personal Research Report

21st Century Skills:

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Page 305 from Write for College

Personal Research Report (Cont.)

Lead students through the final page of the sample paper. Note that the paper follows MLA style for in-text citations. When you finish reading, ask students to evaluate the report using the assessment rubric on page 306. (You can download and print the checklist below.)

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Assessment Rubric for Report Writing

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i

NE ELA Standard:

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Persuasive Writing

Form:

Personal Research Report

21st Century Skills:

English Language Arts:

Page 306 from Write for College

Evaluating Report Writing

Recommend students use the report assessment rubric during the revising and editing stages of the writing process. Students can use the same evaluation criteria during peer-revision sessions. The checklist items are applicable to any type of report.

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Assessment Rubric for Report Writing

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.1112.W.2.4

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.9, 110.39.c.9

NE ELA Standard:

LA 12.2.2

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