Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a Touchstone anytime, however, you must pass the previous Activities before you can submit the Touchstone for grading. Once you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted toward your final course score.
Touchstone: Smooth Muscle: Learn how your gut contracts!
ASSIGNMENT: In this unit, you will complete the lab titled Smooth Muscle: Learn how your gut contracts!. You will write a lab report describing the hypothesis, methods, and conclusions from this lab experience.
By completing the lab report, you will demonstrate your ability to do the following:
Describe the lab’s overall objective and make a hypothesis.
Introduce relevant background knowledge on the topic.
Summarize the steps taken in the lab simulation.
Explain any obtained results.
Discuss the conclusions and implications.
Download the lab report file. IMPORTANT: You must submit this completed template file as your Touchstone.
Lab Report – Smooth muscle: Learn how your gut contracts!
The document is a Microsoft Word file. You will type your answers directly into the boxes provided and submit it as a Word file. Any other submission file or format will be returned ungraded.
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Directions
Step 1: Download and review the lab report file.
Step 2: Complete each part of the lab report file as you work through the simulation. Prompts in the lab report will help you develop your responses.
Follow the process presented to you in the How to Write a Lab Report lesson to ensure you write a thorough lab report entry.
Review the grading rubric (below) to make sure you have an understanding of how your lab report will be graded.
Step 3: Once you’ve completed the lab simulation and your lab report, review the submission requirements (below) and update your lab report to ensure it meets the recommended requirements.
Step 4: Once your lab report template is complete, submit it for grading.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the Touchstone process. Do not submit your Touchstone until you meet these guidelines.
❒ Did you review the Lab Manual before starting the simulation?
❒ Did you complete the lab simulation?
❒ Did you refer to the lesson on How to Write a Lab Report?
❒ Did you complete all 5 sections of the Lab Report file?
❒ Did you review the Touchstone rubric and compare it to your lab report?
❒ Did you submit the provided Lab Report file as your Touchstone for grading?
B. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Objective and Hypothesis (45 pts)
Describe the overall objective of the simulation and make a hypothesis (if applicable).
Clearly describes the purpose of the simulation and makes a hypothesis. Purpose and hypothesis are well-aligned with the simulation and are paraphrased in the student’s own words. Describes the purpose of the simulation and makes a hypothesis. Both are aligned with the simulation and are paraphrased in the student’s own words, but are less clear and specific. Describes a purpose and a hypothesis that are only loosely aligned with the simulation. Either the description of the simulation’s purpose or the hypothesis is missing, or they are not paraphrased in the student’s own words. Does not describe the purpose of the simulation or a hypothesis. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.
Background Knowledge (45 pts)
Introduce relevant background knowledge on the topic described in the simulation.
Lists at least 3 examples of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources. Lists at least 2 examples of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources. Lists at least 1 example of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources. Lists at least 1 example but its connection to the simulation is unclear. Response does not offer any background knowledge on simulation. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.
Summary and Steps (45 pts)
Summarize the steps taken in the simulation.
Summarizes all steps taken in the simulation and all equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader understands the logical flow of the lab. Summarizes most of the steps taken in the simulation and lists some equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader mostly understands the logical flow of the lab. Summarizes some of the steps taken in the simulation and lists some of the equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader somewhat understands the logical flow of the lab. Summary is missing most of the steps in the simulation and most of the equipment and techniques used. Summary may contradict the simulation or be organized illogically. Summary does not include any steps taken in the simulation or equipment and techniques used. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.
Results (45 pts)
Explain the obtained results from the simulation
Accurately explains most of the obtained results of the simulation, if the results were expected or unexpected and why. Accurately explains some of the obtained results of the simulation and if the results were expected or unexpected. Explains some of the results of the simulation but may contain some inaccuracies. Does not explain if the results were expected or unexpected. Explanation of results is entirely inaccurate or contradicts the simulation. Does not explain if the results were expected or unexpected. Does not explain any obtained results or if the results were expected or unexpected. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.
Conclusions and Implications (45 pts)
Discuss the conclusions and implications of the simulation.
Clearly and specifically summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned. Summarizes the results of the simulation but their relationship to the original purpose and hypothesis may be less clear; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned. Completes 2 of 3 tasks: summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned. Completes 1 of 3 tasks: summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned. Completes none of the tasks. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.
Conventions and Proofreading (25 pts)
Submission follows conventions for standard written English.
There are almost no errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. There are minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that do not impede readability. There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that somewhat impede readability. There are consistent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that significantly impede readability. Submission does not meet the minimum threshold for points to be awarded.
C. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Use the provided lab report file completed with a readable 11- or 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
Only submit the completed lab report file saved in .doc or .dox format as your assignment submission.
D. Additional Resources
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
The Scientific Method Lesson
How to Write a Lab Report Lesson
