Science students need to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts they are studying and exploring through labs. The standard 2 - 3 page Lab Report format can be quite daunting for students, especially English Language Learners. This form allows students to write less, but more often. It still includes all the official components of a full lab report, just in an abbreviated format. You can also incorporate your Common Core goals into this format quite easily. My philosophy is that students learn best when they do a bit less, but more often. This shorter lab version is quicker to assess by the teacher so you can get meaningful feedback to students quicker. It also appeals to several different learning styles, allowing students to write, complete scientific drawings, create graphs, and listing vocabulary. The bottom line is that once you get used to this format, you can get a very good idea of a student's level of understanding in an extremely short time.