Introduction:
Your final reports will be a definition: a definition of your prototype, a definition of software, a definition of how a computer language works, a definition of how to handle speech therapy, a definition of how to manage timber, a definition of your prototype, and so on. In that way, what you write for the “section of the final report” assignment will
be a definition of a significant part of your project. 

There are many ways to define things and ideas.  Description offers an important means of defining terms.

As we saw (see "Definitions"), you can focus description in two main ways:

1.form
+ what does it look like?
+ what are its parts?

2.function
+ what does it do overall? (what is its purpose?)
+ how does it work?
+how does each part work?
+what does each part do (what is each part’s purpose?)

The assignment (this is worth 4 points so spend about an hour on this exercise as if it were an in-class project):

Consider only the specific topic you are working on for this first section of the body of the report (the topic for your “section of the final report” assignment).  For this exercise, do not rehash terms/ideas you already defined in the background section. This should deal with ONE of your OBJECTIVES from the proposal.

1. List the key term the section of the final report deals with = title.

2.If possible, draw a figure of the key term (a basic figure labeled with the main parts or a block diagram) [form]

3.Divide the term/concept/object into main components (perhaps two or three) and list those main components. [form] By main component, I mean a “major feature or part” that is made up of “smaller features or parts.”

4. Explain function: what does each main component do/ what is each component’s purpose? [function]

5.List the individual parts that each main component is made of. [form]

6. Explain function: what does each part do/ what is each part’s purpose? [function]

See the “Description of a Mechanism” assignment in the Course Pamphlet to get details on this, but don’t include details like size,
shape, material. Just focus on form and function.

Here’s a basic outline you can follow:

Title
Main components (list them)
Figure
Main component 1
Purpose of main component 1:
Parts (list the component's parts)
   Part 1 Function/purpose/how it works
   Part 2  Function Function/ purpose/ how it works ….
   Part 3 and so on ….

Main component 2
Purpose of main component 2:
Parts (list the component's parts)
   Part 1Function/purpose/how it works
   Part 2 Function/purpose/how it works ….
   Part 3 and so on ….

Main component 3 ....

You can write this as a list or outline.

For some of you, this may seem a little strange because you are dealing with abstract concepts, but still we can often describe those concepts in terms of main components and their individual parts. Give it a try—see what happens.

**Examples (short outlines):

Fox habitat:

Main components: nesting needs, feeding needs
  Nesting needs
      Need 1,2,3,4,5..
  Feeding needs
      Need 1 (range size),
       Need 2, 3, 4….

**Here’s another brief example:

Protype 1

Main components: stand, device holder, release mechanism
Stand:
  Part 1—features and function
  Part 2—features and function
  Part 3 ....
Device holder:
  Part 1(purpose, how it works...) 
  Part 2 …
Release mechanism
  Part 1
  Part 2….