PLTW Gateway

PLTW Gateway Notebook Sample Entries

Keeping notes during class is a task that you have come to expect. You also have learned in
mathematics class, for example, that a record of your work helps you to explain to your teacher
what you were thinking when you solved a mathematics problem. The same is true with
engineers. They must keep record of the steps they take while developing a solution, the
processes they use in creating the solution, and a record of their solutions. The engineering
notebook is so important that it can be considered a legal document. As a legal document, the
Engineering Notebook is commonly used in the pursuit of a patent. This activity is designed to
help you set up your engineering notebook and to learn how to keep record of the work you will
do in this class. In addition, your teacher may ask you to take notes from information presented
or learned in class. Carefully read the information below.

PLTW Gateway Notebook Procedures

Each engineer has his or her own engineering notebook. The engineer records all work related to
project development by hand as neatly and organized as possible. Entries must be kept in
chronological order.

Below are examples of the types of information that you will record in your engineering
notebook:

 Your thoughts and ideas (should be stated or presented in a way that can be clearly
understood)

 Sketches and pictures documenting the design process - (preferably with annotated
sketches)

 Work session activities - (new, supported, or theorized concepts)

 Research findings (testing, observations, and results) – (reference information for all
sources)

 Interview information (who was contacted, why, when, and what was discussed or learned)

Each day you may be required to create a journal entry. Each journal entry may include the
following:

Briefly explain what you accomplished during the class period. This should include statements
such as: I researched . . . I wrote . . . I drew . . . I built . . . I tested . . . I found . .
.

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 Important dates for concepts, calculations, test results, improvements, and project
completion.

 Briefly explain the importance of any performed activities.

 Your teacher may ask you to include additional information in your notebook such as:

 taking class notes, defining vocabulary words, or answering questions at the end of a
lesson.

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PLTW Engineering Notebook Standards

(The following standards should be applied at ALL times)

1. Pages are, or can be, sequentially numbered in permanent ink at the top corner of each
page.

2. The Notebook must be bound. Pages cannot be added or removed without disrupting the
binding.

3. No data recording pages are to be removed from the notebook for any reason.

4. Your notebook should be stored in a safe location when not in use. (not accessible to
others)

5. When the notebook is full, begin a new one that picks up where the other ended. (archive
old notebook)

6. All figures and calculations should be clearly labeled and printed in permanent ink.

7. Entries start at the top of the page, working left-to-right and top-to-bottom. Do not leave
open or

8. Unused space. Simply draw lines through blank or unused space as entries are made.

9. Markers that can bleed through the paper are not to be used. (Permanent ink entries are
preferred)

10. Permanently attach inserted items with tape or a glue stick. Loose items do not belong in
the notebook.

11. Clearly indicate the date before or above each new entry.

12. Cross out mistakes with a single line. Initial and place the correction nearby. NEVER erase
an entry.

13. Always be consistent, accurate, and chronological when recording entries in your notebook.

14. Sign and date each completed entry page before you begin the next page. When dating a
completed entry page, use the following universal format: Month Day, Year - Example =
May 15, 2009

15. An engineering notebook is considered to be Proprietary Information. This means it is

privately owned.

16. A colleague or your teacher should look over the entries on each page and sign/date as the
witness in the designated boxes. Excluding the witness, no one other than yourself should
write in your notebook.
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Reminders for a Successful Engineering Notebook

Be Prepared: Bring your notebook and pen/pencil every day. Good attendance will aid in
your success.

Ask Questions: Ask questions to clarify any confusion. Being a good listener will also
help greatly.

Be Organized: Use a systematic approach – be brief, neat, structured, sequential, and

consistent.

Examples: Review (Ideal Journal Entries) to eliminate mistakes and improve

consistency.

Resources: Utilize all available resources. This notebook contains resource information
for:

The following would be considered excellent examples of entries in an engineering

notebook.

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Why did the previous examples represent an excellent engineering notebook?

 The pages have been sequentially numbered.

 The pages are part of a bound notebook.

 There is a dedicated location on each page for the designer’s and witness’s dated
signatures.

 All figures and calculations have been clearly labeled.

 Inserted items have been properly attached to their respective pages.

 The date for each entry is clearly identified.

 The student included annotated sketches that help the reader understand the ideas.

 Detailed explanations of how the designs are supposed to work were given.

 The student gave evidence of research.

 Problems that were encountered through experimentation were chronicled, and ideas
to fix problems were clearly evident.

 A technical drawing for a prototype was given, which specified the material from which
the part was to be made.

 A digital photograph of the prototype was included that suggests how the object is to
be assembled.

 The information given in the entries is proportional to the amount of time given per
class period.

 Any mistakes had a single line drawn through them and were initialed.

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The following is an example of an unacceptable engineering notebook. Keep in mind that

each entry represents a reflection of 45 minutes of continuous work.

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Why did the previous example represent an unacceptable engineering notebook?

 The student submitted a sheet of loose leaf paper that was removed from a wire
bound spiral notebook. An engineering notebook must be a bound document. No
pages should ever be removed from an engineering notebook.

 The page number is not identified in ink.

 The student did not sign and date the page.

 There were several class days between 9/22 and 10/11 that are not represented by
notebook entries.

 There were no sketches, CAD model graphics, or technical drawings to support the
idea that the support bar, guide, or displacement arm was actually designed or being
built. It also appeared that the student was leaving room so that he/she could go back
and add sketches later on in an attempt to satisfy the rubric.

 Except for wood, which encompasses a broad spectrum, no tools or materials were
identified as being used.

 The student offered no explanation as to functions of the support bar, wood guide, and
displacement arm.

 The entries do not show that the partners talked about their ideas or worked on their
designs as a team.

 The entries do not talk about any special considerations or problems that might have
been encountered during the design of the parts.

 Only fragments of ideas have been documented. There is no detail at all.

 The student used inappropriate expletives in a formal document, and was openly
disrespectful to his/her teammate.

 45 minutes of work cannot be accurately and completely summed up in one sentence.

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