How to Write an AP Biology Lab Report
How to Write an AP
Biology Lab Report
Step 1: Before starting the Lab
Read the lab – thoroughly (that means
every part)
There are 4 parts of the lab write-up you
can do before starting the lab:
1. Title of the lab
2. Introduction
3. Materials
4. Methods
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 1: Title
Title of a Lab:
Needs to be specific – NOT “Lab #1”
Cannot be the same as the title in the Lab
Manual
Ex. – How enzymes are affected by temperature,
acids, and bases
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 1: Title
Brainstorm some examples for the
Surface Tension Lab
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 2: Introduction
State the problem
State the purpose of the lab – usually
found on the first page of the lab manual
(DO NOT COPY IT)
State your hypothesis
Do Background research about the topic
on which the lab is about
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 2: Introduction
What would you include in your
introduction of the Surface Tension Lab?
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 3: Materials
These need to be listed in a bulleted list
in your lab write-up
Include details (how many pipettes, how
much water, what type of water, etc)
Don’t leave any items out – even if you
just used them for a second
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 3: Materials
What were the materials used in the
Surface Tension Lab?
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 4: Methods
Write out the steps to the experiment as
commands – like you are writing a recipe
NO Pronoun usage
Detailed commands – DO NOT COPY
THE METHODS IN THE LAB – put them
in your own words
Step 2: Initial Write-up
Part 4: Methods
What are the methods of the Surface
Tension Lab?
Step 3: Complete the experiment
Make sure to write down ALL data
yourself – even if you are working in a
group!
After completing the experiment,
complete final write-up:
1. Results
2. Conclusion
3. Citations, Syntax, and Format
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 1: Results
Need to be written in paragraph form
AND data put into charts or graphs
NO EXPLANATIONS of WHY here
Make sure correct units are used and
graphs/charts are given a title and a
number so you can refer back to it
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 1: Results
How would you record the results for the
Surface Tension Lab?
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 2: Conclusion/Discussion
Explain why you got the results you got!
Reject or Accept your hypothesis and tell why you did that.
Explain any errors that might have occurred and what effects they might have had
Explain how you would expand this research for later projects or to find out different information
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 2: Conclusion/Discussion
What would you include in your
discussion of the Surface Tension Lab?
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 3: Citations, Format, Syntax
Citations
Must include at least 2 that are not the lab
manual – your book may count as one
Use the correct format – you can find this by
googling the “OWL at Purdue”
Step 4: Final Write-up
Part 3: Citations, Format, Syntax
Format:
Make sure it is clear
Each section needs a heading:
“Introduction”, “Materials”, “Methods”
Syntax:
No Personal Pronouns
Proofread for grammatical and spelling
errors
Grading
Each Lab Write-Up counts as 100 points