How to write a Report

There are alot of articles on "How to write a report" http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Report However, these deal with mechanics and process of writing, without first setting up what a Report.  It is like telling someone "How to build a car" without first ensuring they know what a car is, transportsystems and how the car fits in verses bike, buses, walking etc.

Examples of Reports:

School Reports - Features: Formal authorative record, a fair measure of performance, expert interperation, clearly identified who and when, details on author.

Termite Report - Formal authorative record, a measurement performed to a standard, and expert interpretation, clearly identified property and time, details of the reporter and certification.

Telephone Bill - Formal authorative record, verifiable record of calls and charge, result and call for action and options to clearly identified audiance, indication of the authenicity of reporting body

Blood Report - Formal record, Expert interpretation, details supporting the authority, date and patient identified.

Other Reports: Weather, Financial, Car roadworthy

Summary:
Reports have a message required by an audiance that can authorative interpetation, and often justified options to follow.

So how do reports fit into current society?

Reports have become really imbedded in Commerce and the Rule of Law. Companies have strict reporting requirements to the stock market.  The rule of law means that people in society are committed to follow and be protected by laws. A traffic fine is a type of report woven in with the law. A murder will be sent to prison based of forensic reports generated by police. In the middle ages witches were thrown in the water to prove if they were authetic.

How do reports fit in the practice of Science?

Reports are quality Science communications used by Scientists and society to function.  There are really three levels of communication.
1) Logs, these are traceble,testable records, relating to a specified procedure.
2) Reports, interpret logs using accepted Scientific Explanations
3) Research Papers, seek to advance Scientific Explanations by describing new answers.

Logs are automatic and the output of experiments.
Reports Scientifically interpret Logs, and may look at experiments.
Research Paper report or comment on new knowledge, and only at this level is there a "Hypothesis". In this style of Research Paper a situation is descrbed, a questioned asked, a test able answer is proposed, and a report written on Experiments carried out.

In the Year 8 experiment you built a ECO house and subjected this to several tests.  A basic report would explain the cost and time to build it, in addition how it performed under conditions. The report you have been asked produce has been given an education outcome marking scheme.  It is a report not on the ECO house but on the building and learning process. The marking scheme is a report on your report!

Lets look at some of the marking guidelines

4.2 uses examples to illustrate how models. theories and laws contribute to and understanding of phenomina.
Translation: "Describes how their model contributes to an understanding of phenomina."

4.2 really refers to a conceptual model, like the particle model for gases.  The model in the translation refers to the small scale model that the student built. To answer this you would have to, for example, how building you model better able you to understand how window size effects heating of a real house.

4.3 requires you to link and everyday life effect that has been affected by everyday developments.  It might be the ability to build more unusual houses using computer design.

4.12.requires you to explain how your house has been built around ideas bases on our modern technology or requiring technological knowhow.

and so forth

of note for 4.20 and 4.40 you have to talk about your strategies, and why you chose some.