Adams

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION REPORT #2

ASSIGNMENT: Describe in writing with an included illustration a simple mechanism or object of some sort that you use (or will use) in your job, career or daily life. This report should include at least five paragraphs. For some topic ideas for an object to describe, see pages 36 (#8) or 499 (#18) in your text although some of these are way too complicated for this short report. Your visual should show all main components with labeling for each part.

PLANNING/PREWRITING:

1. The item to be described in the report:

2. The audience for the paper:

3. The formal definition of the item (class + differentiating characteristics):

4. The two or three main sections of the item:

5. The components or functional parts of each section:

6. The features/comparisons to include in the overall description:

7. The order in which the components or functional parts will be discussed:

8. The features to include in discussion of each component or functional part:

9. The type of illustration (hand drawn, photo, clip art, Xerox copy, etc.):

PRIMARY WRITING TRAITS: Definition/Description/Explanation

BODY--Describe each of the component parts in detail (size, shape, color, material, texture, etc.).Pinpoint locations. Use measurements. Group and arrange connected parts logically in paragraphs.

CONCLUSION--You may briefly tell the reader how the item is used or how a device operates. Or you may emphasize a particular advantage or feature of the item being described.

VISUAL --In addition, please include an illustration of your item with your own drawing, a copy of a picture, a piece of clip art, or a magazine cut-out. Label (or use callouts of) the important parts.

Don't repeat yourself with wordy descriptions.

Don't tell how to use the mechanism. This is a description assignment, not a process.

Don't choose an item with too few or too many parts to be an effective subject for this short report

A Few Suggestions for Using Graphics in a Document

Use graphics whenever you think they would add to a document's clarity or be helpful in some way. Note how graphics enliven many documents. Don't spend all your time working on them, however. You don't have to be an artist to use computer graphics. This is a writing course.

Use appropriate graphics for the assignment. Sometimes a simple drawing is more helpful to your reader than a fancy photograph.

Put the graphic in the document where the text is explaining it. Don't place it on a page by itself. Use a title for the graphic or a figure, like "Figure 1."

If you borrow a graphic from another source, text, web, etc., give credit for it just as if you borrowed someone's words. Indicate clearly where it came from.

If you are using graphs or tables, always give them a title. In graphs label both the x and y axes.

Resize the graphic to fit your page. Learn how to quickly resize in Word. Don't let it overcome the text of the document or creep into the margins. Place it effectively on the page. If you need to crop out part of the graphic, you can do that also in Word. Be reasonable about leaving too much white space in order to place a graphic near the text referring to it.

Report Writing Graphics Links

Microsoft Word '97/'98 handout including how to use Drawing Tools in older versions of Word

This is a 20-page PDF file (tutorial from University of Arizona)

http://www.library.arizona.edu/ic/infocommons-guides.html#msoffice

Simple one-page html document for newer versions of Word:

http://www.bcoe.org/admin/training/techtips/nov_04.htm

Online Technical Writing Handbook

http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/

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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION REPORT #2

(Please attach this sheet to your final report.)

EVALUATION:

Is the item you are describing appropriate? Not too simple nor too complex?

Have you paragraphed well with an introductory paragraph and effectively organized body paragraphs?

Do you have appropriate headings/legends for each body paragraph?

Does introduction contain a thesis statement? Have you used a suitable formal definition that includes a class and differentiating characteristics?

Does your introduction include a short overall description?

Does introduction include a list of parts that includes every important feature or groups of component sections?

In the body paragraphs, does each part have its important features accurately described by size, material, texture, color, etc.? Have you avoided wordiness in your descriptions?

Have you used comparisons with familiar items to help reader visualize your descriptions?

Have you included an appropriate, labeled illustration with your report?

Have you used transitions to help the reader see the relationships of the various parts?

Does your conclusion effectively end your report?

Does your report use standard English with satisfactory word choice, sentence structure, grammar, mechanics, spelling? Did you write your numbers correctly?

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Scoring Rubric for

Composition 103 (Report Writing) Papers

6= 100 points 4= 60 points 2= 20 points

5= 80 points 3= 40 points 1= 0 points

6—Superior

•Clear subject and thesis (definition)

•Focused, unified, and coherent report organization

•Excellent document formatting

•Fully developed and detailed descriptions that demonstrate full understanding of the assignment

•Shows an obvious awareness of audience

•Evidences superior control of diction, sentence variety, and transitions

•Acceptable college-level grammar, mechanics and usage with only a few minor flaws

5—Strong

•Clearly addresses the subject and thesis (definition)

•Is effectively organized

•Competent document formatting

•Is well-developed, with supporting descriptive details that most of the time demonstrate critical thinking

•Awareness of audience

•Demonstrates control of diction, sentence variety, and transition

•Acceptable college-level grammar, mechanics and usage with only a few flaws

4—Competent

•Adequately addresses the subject but may not always make his/her main point clear

•Is organized, but some parts may not seem well connected

•Sketchy document formatting

•Is adequately developed, with some detail, but support may not always be strong and clear or demonstrate sound reasoning

•Some awareness of audience

•Demonstrates competent writing, but some sentences may lack variety and diction may be imprecise in areas

•May have some flaws in grammar, mechanics and usage

3—Weak

•May distort or neglect important elements/issues dealing with the subject; may be too simplistic or stereotypical in thought

•May demonstrate problems in organization

•Defective document format

•May have generalizations without supporting detail or detail without generalizations; may be undeveloped; may show a lack of thought

•Lack of audience awareness

•May show patterns of flaws in language and syntax; confused words

•Grammar, mechanics and usage may not conform to conventions of standard English, distracting the reader from the content

2—Inadequate

•Thesis and subject are very fuzzy; paper seems unfocused, vague and unreasoned

•Will demonstrate serious inadequacy in one or more of the areas specified for the 3 paper

•Simple words are frequently misspelled

1—Incompetent

•Failed attempts to fulfill the requirements of the assignment

•Deliberately off-topic papers

•Paper so incompletely developed as to suggest or demonstrate incompetence.

•Paper wholly incompetent mechanically