To be effective as a scientist, you must write well.

This is a course of study designed to help students write about science: to observe, remember, think and plan, and to improve your communication skills.

We will study the following aspects of scientific writing:

- how to write and your choice and use of words;
- how to use numbers and illustrations to support your writing;
- how to find information and cite sources;
- how to write project reports, theses and papers for publication;
- how to give a short talk or presentation

This course is designed to help you write effectively and confidently in college courses, as well as in your professional life. You should expect to discuss some aspects of writing or the writing process every lesson.

Our study of writing will include laboratory reports and scientific papers. You will gain expertise in reading scientific reports and applying what you learn in writing your own laboratory reports and research papers.

Participation is a key component to success in this class. You should expect to contribute fully to class and group discussions.

For all written work, you will receive a rubric. This rubric expresses the goals of the activity and should be used as a guide to focus your essay.

Marked work will have notations to guide you towards fixing problem areas. You are strongly encouraged to review these comments and use them to improve your writing. As the tasks become more complex and more demanding, students who fail to self-reflect during the course will suffer academically.