Rocket has twelve weeks of Bench Log pages fanned across the table. "Where do I even start?"
"At the problem," Raven says. "A report tells the story in order: problem, plan, build, test, change, result."
Nova hovers over the pages. "And every claim leans on a number," she says. "Which page holds your best number?"
"Wednesday and Thursday," Rocket says. "Control dropped 8. Prototype 1 dropped 5. Prototype 2 dropped 3."
Raven writes the headings down the page. "What do you notice? Your numbers already tell the story. Now add the why."
"The why is heat moving from warm to cool," Rocket says, "and layers slowing it down."
"Then write that," Raven says, "and sign it. Matter Lab, week 12."
A report lets someone who was not at the Bench understand what you did, what you found and why it matters.
It follows the design cycle in order. Each claim is backed by a number from your data table or a fact from a named source.
Your Matter Lab report has seven parts. Write it in the Bench Log or on clean paper, with your data table copied in.
| Part | What goes in it | Example from Rocket's cup |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Problem | The device, the criteria and the constraints | Keep warm water warmer than a plain cup for ten minutes, Bench materials only |
| 2. Science | The ideas that limit or power the design, with the source named | Heat moves from warmer to cooler objects, from a NASA Glenn Research Center page |
| 3. Plan | The fair test: what stayed the same, what changed, the control | Same water, same room, same minutes. Changed the cup. Control was a plain cup |
| 4. Build | The prototype and why each material was chosen | Paper wrap, foil layer, second cup, chosen for layers and trapped air |
| 5. Test | The data table: amount, time, temperature or distance | Control dropped 8 degrees, Prototype 1 dropped 5 |
| 6. Improve | The one change and the second test | Added an air gap and a paper lid. Prototype 2 dropped 3 |
| 7. Conclusion | Did it meet the criteria? What would you do next? | Yes. Next, test a thicker lid |
| Course review | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Some chemical reactions release energy and others absorb it. | ? |
| An endothermic change makes its surroundings warmer. | ? |
| Synthetic materials come from natural resources through a chemical process. | ? |
| Precise criteria and constraints make a design more likely to succeed. | ? |
| A design is finished after its first test. | ? |
The report is written. Tomorrow is the last Bench Day: you present your device and your report to your family.