Minds On
Report
When was the last time you explored an information report like a report on the state of global warming? Explore the following images and brainstorm what makes a piece of writing a report. What are the parts of an information report and what are its important features? If possible, share your thoughts with a partner.
Think about the last time you explored an informational text. How did you know what it was about? Reports are a type of informational texts. Think of a time when you wrote a report. What was it about? What did you have to include in your report? What did you like best about report writing? What did you find challenging?
In this learning activity you will learn about the elements and features of a report and write a report on a specific topic.
Action
Let’s consider the difference between an element and a feature.
An element is a smaller part that makes up something bigger. For example, teenagers make up an important element of society. Teenagers are a smaller group within society as a whole.
A feature, is a characteristic that makes something distinct. For example, a newspaper article often features an interview. This feature, the interview, makes newspaper articles distinct from other kinds of writing.
Report elements and features
What are the elements of a report?
Elements of a report include:
- topic Title
- table of Contents
- introduction
- body:
- a paragraph for each subtopic with facts and examples
- compares facts and information (lists or describes differences and similarities)
- usually written in present tense (as new understandings continually change with discoveries and new research)
- a heading or subtitle for the paragraph/subtopic
- Images with captions
- conclusion
- appendix
What are the features of a report?
- title, subtitle or subheadings
- table of contents
- photos with captions, diagrams with labels
- histograms, pie-chart/circle-graphs, charts, and/or maps
- glossary, appendices with specific key terms (subject specific vocabulary); you may or may not be required to include one depending on the requirements set out by your teacher
- sources (where you got your information)
Step 1: Topic
Choose an appropriate topic. It could be a topic that has been studied in one of your other subject areas.
Press the ‘Topics’ button to explore a list of topics.
- Water Systems (Science)
- Global Inequalities (Geography)
- Economic Development and Quality of Life (Geography)
- Canada A Changing Society (1890–1914) (History)
- Another topic that your teacher suggests for you
- Another topic of interest that you choose and have approved by your teacher
Step 2: Subtopic and early research
Complete the Subtopics Graphic Organizer in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you research and gather facts and form a clearer idea of your subtopics. You may also choose to organize your topics using an audio or video recording.
Press the Activity button to access the Subtopics Graphic Organizer.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)Step 3: KWHLAQ Topic
Complete the KWHLAQ chart in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started.
Fill in the first 3 columns as follows:
In the “What do I want know” column, include what you learned and remember about your topic.
In the “What do I want to know” column, ask questions you would like to find out more about in your research. Include higher order questions that address cause and effect and address concepts of significance or changing patterns over time. Ask for feedback from your teacher about your questions. Your teacher may guide you to rewording some of your questions and/or adding some additional questions.
In the “How do I find out” column, you can ask questions about how to find out more information to help you answer your questions in the 2nd column.
Step 4: Plan for finding information and reliable sources
Using your ideas in the 3rd column of your KWHLAQ chart, make a plan for how you’re going to locate information.
- What search sites will you use?
- What online search databases are available in your school/school board library?
- Will you use your public library search engine?
- Will you interview an expert?
- Will you consult magazines, news broadcasts or podcasts?
- Add onto the 3rd "How I do find out" column of your KWHLAQ chart.
Step 5: Searching using keywords
Part of research is to search for information to help answer your research question(s). Searching for information is done using keywords. Brainstorm some important words or keywords that might be related to your topic and research questions (in the 2nd column of you KWHLAQ chart). Make a keyword list.
Keywords help narrow our searches to find the information we are searching for. Keywords can be a single word, two words or a phrase that are part of your research topic or that you think will help answer your research questions.
Press the ‘Practice’ button to know more about your practice task.
You are going to practice using the words "teen health" to do a search online. Scan briefly at the titles and text of the search results. What kind of websites, titles, and text come up? According to Google, about 4,270,000,000 results come up. That’s a lot of search results!!!! You probably agree the search results are quite broad for a chosen research topic.
Synonyms and Thesaurus
Take some words in your keywords and/or phrases and search for them in a thesaurus.
A thesaurus is ordered in alphabetical order like a dictionary but instead of providing a word definition, a thesaurus lists alternative words or synonyms.
Find some synonyms for the word “teen.”
Some synonyms for teen you may have found are: “youth, teenager, adolescent, juvenile, minor.” Choose a few words from your keywords list and find some synonyms.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Using a thesaurus, find some synonyms for your keywords. Work with a partner, if possible.
Keyword: synonyms
If you have some phrases, with the help of your partner, try to think of alternative ways to phrase it. Help your partner come up with some alternatives if they have phrases in their keyword.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Step 6: Search with your keywords
Now, try doing a search with your keywords and/or phrases in your Keyword list. Scan your search results to explore if the search results seem to have the kinds of websites and relevant information. Pick one website to open in a new tab so that you can return to your search results. To decide if this website is suitable to answer some of your research questions, use the following checklist.
| Website | Checklist |
|---|---|
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Relevance |
Scan through or conduct a “FIND” search (Ctrl-F) using one of your keywords or phrases and note how often it appears. If it only appears once or twice, maybe this website is not as relevant as another website might be. |
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Scan or Skim Can I read this? |
Scan or skim the text to find if you can read and understand parts of the text. Scanning or skimming means reading quickly through the first, middle and end sentences in a 1-2 paragraphs, or jumping from word to word or phrase to phrase to find if you can read most of the words and phrases. If you’re not able to read or understand, slow down and try again. If you’re still not able to read or understand, then leave this source. Go to another source in your search results and scan/skim the text. |
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Answer my research questions? |
If you are able to read the text, ask if this text answers or relates to your research questions. |
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Credibility |
If you think it does, ask if this is a credible author or site. Is the site published by an established news reporter or organization with an established and respected reputation? What appears to be the purpose of the site? Is it to inform, persuade or sell a product or idea? Is the information current enough? You may need some teacher help to advise you. |
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Check with your teacher before you record site and bookmark |
If you think the source is credible, then confirm with your teacher to bookmark the site in your browser and also record the web address. |
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Repeat steps |
For each website or source you come across quickly scan and review to find if it’s a suitable source before taking jot notes. |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Website Checklist.
You may wish to keep a copy of the checklist for your reference.
Adjust your search using synonyms as keywords in your next search
If you find your first search results don’t bring suitable or relevant websites (according to the Website Checklist), then you will need to adjust or change your keywords by using a synonym and/or other ways of phrasing to find sources with the information you’re searching for. Repeat the same steps for choosing a website to determine its suitability using the Website Checklist.
Research
As you record jot notes and your sources, you should also gather/record images or photos and their sources. You will need to ensure you are following proper education copyright expectations, and also record the photographer or artist, title of the photo and the source. Otherwise, you can create your own drawings or choose to take suitable relevant photographs for your topic.
Step 7: Search and record using jot notes
When you have found a credible source, read through the information at least once. After the first read through, record relevant information using jot notes.
Rules for jot notes are:
- Do not use sentences
- Examine a key part of the text, cover it or hide it while you write the jot note in your own words
- Use quotation marks to start and end if you are quoting “ ”
- Cite the source that you are quoting in the last column of the table
- Perhaps use a graphic organizer to keep your sources organized.
Complete the Jot Notes Template in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started.
Press the ‘Printable’ button to access Jot Notes Template.
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Clustered by keywords (synonyms, phrases) Subtopic(s) |
Search Results (containing/ relating to keywords/ phrases) (jot notes–no sentences, use “ ” if quoting the source directly) |
Citing Sources (find more than 1 source) |
|---|---|---|
|
(Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank) (Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank) possible subtopics (Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank)(Blank) |
|
Source Type: website/book/ podcast/other Title:(Blank)(Blank) Author/ Producer:(Blank) |
If possible, discuss your notes with a partner, if you think you have gathered enough information. Underline or highlight or bold key ideas (words or phrases) in your jot notes. While you do this, record and/or examine for cause and effect relationships to present in your report, as well as to prioritize information.
Step 8A: Organizing ideas
Subtopics
Review your subtopics graphic organizer to find if you need to make any organizational changes to how you’ve grouped your topic into subtopics. Consider the order you present your subtopics in relation to significance and to each other. Cut and paste to reorder and/or use sticky notes to take notes to help you reorder. You may also choose to organize your topics using an audio or video recording.
Cause and effect
Go over your research notes and search for cause and effect relationships and/or compare facts or information, you may choose to use a Venn Diagram. You may make comparisons within a subtopic or between subtopics.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
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Step 8B: Summarizing using a graphic organizer
Now you want to organize your ideas into a paragraph frame according to a subtopic and prioritize your subtopics. For each subtopic, you will write a paragraph about your subtopic, and prioritize relevant facts and examples. Consider using a sticky-note, audio recording, video recording, or comment feature of your electronic document to make notes of where to place relevant visual and/or numerical information (charts, tables, pie/circle charts, histographs, double/triple bar graphs, line graphs).
Step 8C: Review
You may need to go back and do more searches to find new or more specifics like supporting details (more facts, more examples, or you may need more sources to check your facts). This is also a good time to reflect on any possible biases in the way the information may have been presented. For example, if you notice the scales of graphs enlarged to portray a particular pattern or trend, or vice-versa. If possible, consult with your teacher to find if your research information sufficiently presents a relationship, pattern or significance between information like cause and effect, and enough examples and/or facts from more than one source to illustrate the relationship(s).
New words
During your research, you’ve probably come across some new words or vocabulary. Choose at least one new subject specific vocabulary.
Use a Frayer model to organize and record as follows:
Include the definition and any prefixes, which are root words that are found at the start of a word like “sub,” “un,” “pre,” “pro,” “in,” “re,” “de,” “ex,” like proceed or subtitle. Also, include any related words with common root words. For example, explore, explorer, exploration are similarly spelled related words with the root “ex” and “plorare” (that comes from Latin and French).
Include some synonyms using a thesaurus.
Include 1-3 examples or situations where this keyword or key term is used. Write sentences that include the keyword.
Include an image to help you remember this word.
Repeat with 1-2 other new key terms, depending on the time you have available. Remember use one organizer for one new key term/vocabulary word.
This will be help start building your Glossary if you’re required to include one.
Complete the Frayer model organizer in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started.
Step 9: Draft
You may write your drafts on lined paper or electronically (voice to text), or audio-record.
Your drafts will include the following:
Now you are ready to write drafts for the paragraphs for the body of your report. Include a subtitle for each paragraph/subtopic. Transform your electronic jot notes into sentences ensuring you are using you own words. Include a descriptive subheading for each subtopic. You may need more than one paragraph to cover a subtopic, so not every paragraph is deserving of a subtitle.
This is also a good time to upload or insert images, photographs and/or diagrams into your draft. A caption is required for visuals grouped together or each individual visual that stands alone. Make your caption descriptive so the reader understands the significance and connection to your report. The caption should also include credits and/or sources of the visual.
You will then need to write an introduction to your report. The introduction has a subheading or subtitle also “Introduction.” The introduction is short and summarizes the overall content and findings of your report. Include significant key findings, such as comparisons and/or cause and effect relationships that are presented in more detail in the body of your report.
Next, write the conclusion to your report. The conclusion has a subheading or subtitle also “Conclusion.” The conclusion can state the significance or importance of your report research. Include further questions and next steps for further investigation.
if you’ve been instructed to include a glossary for key terms and their definitions, this is also a good time to bold them or underline them in your rough draft and create the glossary list and their definitions. You can use the Ctrl-F search function in your electronic document. Make sure you use the formal academic terminology (i.e. scientific terms for science).
Depending on the length of your report - over 5 pages, you will need a Table of Contents listed which page each new subtopic starts. Ensure the electronic document displays and/or prints the page numbers in the publishing stage.
Following teacher instruction, make a list of sources you used. You will probably need to include the website link or provided a bibliography (author, title, publisher, date, page numbers). Include a separate appendix to cite the sources for visuals, the photographer's or artist’s name(s), title of the images, and a separate appendix to cite the sources for any secondary numerical data (pie charts, histographs, graphs, tables). Name the appendices beginning in alphabetical order. For example, Appendix A - Images, Appendix B- Charts, Tables, Graphs.
Step 10: Revise
Decide if your paragraphs make sense, the order of your subtopics in your report, the layout of your images, your introduction and your conclusion. If possible, peer conference for spelling, correct use of nouns, use of 3rd person, passive voice, and present tense verbs. Passive voice to draw attention to the report topic or object.
Press the ‘Example’ button to know more.
If our topic is about the Earth’s water table, and we use the active voice: “Lots of pollutants and plastics don’t get properly handled and wind up in the oceans where they’re not supposed to.”
In this sentence, the focus is more on the pollutants and plastics but our report topic is the water table that includes oceans, so the priority of the focus of the sentence should be on oceans (not pollutants nor plastics).
Using the passive voice: “The health and viability of our oceans are deteriorating rapidly due to mishandled pollutants and plastics.” The difference is subtle, so you may wish to reread the examples again slowly and carefully.
Use the checklist for elements and feature provided at the start of the Action section.
Finalize any revisions before you write your final draft. If possible, conference with a partner or your teacher all your work including your images and layout plan, your introduction, conclusion and if you have one, the table of contents. This is where you make changes to font size, type for your title, subtitles, captions, and spacing in your report. Review the definitions and terms in your Glossary. Glossary terms in your report should be bolded (not underlined).
Step 11: Publish
This is where you electronically print or share your final draft, or write your polished copy to include different fonts and font sizes for the report title, subtitles/subheadings, captions and attach photos, images, labelled diagrams, and include use of colour to present your report in the order of title, table of contents if needed, introduction, body with images and captions, conclusion, appendices, glossary, sources. If your report has a table of contents, ensure it corresponds with the correct page in your report, and lists all parts of the report (i.e. appendices, glossary, sources).
Consolidation
Connecting
Go back to your KWHLAQ chart and record the What I Learned (L) column. Use these questions to help you:
- What did you learn about yourself?
- How might this report be helpful to others?
- What did you think or know now that you didn’t before you did your research?
- What can you create or build to help illustrate what you know now?
- Conference with a partner and/or your teacher to think of 1-2 actions you need to do next.
- Take your key research facts and make visual infographic or poster.
- What new questions do you have based on what you learned in your research? Record them in the (Q) New/More Questions column of your KWHLAQ chart.
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel...
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.
Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.
Discover MoreUse this form of research for other areas of study.
- Identify some strategies you used before you began your report writing.
- Identify some strategies you used during your report writing.
- Which strategies did you find were most helpful?