📝 Competition · Notebook · Beginner

Getting Started with the
Engineering Notebook

Most teams fill the notebook after the season. Top teams build it during. This guide shows you exactly what to write, when, and where in your assigned team notebook.

1
What It Is
2
EDP Phase Map
3
Kickoff Day
4
Every Meeting
5
Evidence Map
6
Entry Types
7
Program Setup
8
Pre-Comp Audit
// Section 01
What the Engineering Notebook Is
Not a journal. Not a photo album. Evidence of engineering thinking — and your team access note.
📄 Your Notebook Access

Your official Engineering Notebook will be created and shared with your team by Mr. T.

  • Do not make your own copy of the master template unless Mr. T specifically tells you to.
  • Your team's assigned notebook is the only official notebook for your team this season.
  • If you cannot access your team notebook, contact Mr. T immediately — do not start a new one.
📝
One sentence: the engineering notebook is evidence that your team followed a real design process. Judges cannot watch you think. The notebook is the proof.

What Judges Are Actually Looking For

PROBLEMA problem statement with specific objectives and measurable constraints — not just “score more points.”
OPTIONSAt least 3 concepts brainstormed with pros, cons, and research. Discarded ideas are evidence — they show you thought before you built.
DECISIONA decision matrix with weighted criteria. Written conclusion explaining why the data matches the choice.
DATAReal numbers. Sample size n≥5. Conclusions that drive the next action. Not “it worked.”
ITERATIONThe EDP repeated. The design changed because of data. At least twice per season minimum.
STEMThe physics, math, or CS principle behind each mechanism — named and connected to a specific part of your robot.

What a Notebook Is NOT

❌
RECF EN4 — hard rule: Do not use AI tools to write, improve, organize, or fill in any notebook entry. The notebook must be entirely student-written. This includes using AI to polish grammar, suggest what to write, or generate content from your notes.
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// Section 02
Where You Are in the EDP
The six EDP phase colors, what each phase requires, and how to start a new iteration cycle.
▶
The EDP is not a one-time checklist. You run it at kickoff. Then again every time you make a significant design change. A Design Award notebook shows it repeating 3–5 times across the season.

Where You Are in the EDP Right Now

Find your current phase. Every notebook slide you open should match the color for that phase.

■ Green — Identify the ProblemGame analysis, scoring breakdown, field specs, criteria and constraints, team and robot goals.
■ Gold — Brainstorm & ResearchConcept sketches (min. 3), research notes with cited sources, subsystem research.
■ Purple — Select Best SolutionData comparison, decision matrix with weighted criteria, written selection conclusion.
■ Orange — Build & ProgramBuild log entries, CAD drawings, wiring changes, programming log with before/after constants.
■ Cyan — Test & EvaluateTest protocol with hypothesis, data table (n≥5), conclusions that drive next action.
■ Red — Tournament Prep & ReflectPre-competition strategy, match results with data, design flaw ID that starts the next cycle.
■ Grey — AppendixBudget and parts log, outreach entries, sources and citations, skills run log.

The EDP Cycle — Running It More Than Once

The first EDP cycle runs from kickoff through your first competition. After that event, you identify design flaws — and the cycle restarts. That restart is your V2 iteration. The second cycle runs the full sequence again: problem definition, brainstorm, decision, build, test. Not just “we changed some things.”

Each EDP cycle requires all six phases
Identify
Problem
Brainstorm
& Research
Select
Solution
Build &
Program
Test &
Evaluate
Reflect &
Restart

Starting a New EDP Cycle (V2, V3...)

After a competition where you identify major design flaws, add a divider slide before starting the next cycle. Write on that slide:

Then run the full six-phase sequence again. Do not skip Brainstorm and Decision because you think you already know what to build. The matrix and the written conclusion are what judges look for in Cycle 2.

🔄
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
The V2 Divider Slide
After every competition where you identify major design flaws, add a full-width colored divider slide before starting the next EDP cycle. Label it with the iteration name (V2 Robot), start date, and one-sentence reason what competition data triggered this rebuild. This makes your iteration loop visible to a judge in five seconds.
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// Section 03
Kickoff Day — Your First Entries
Write before you build. Three required entries for day one, with criteria and constraints.
🏆
The rule: write before you build. The most common reason teams lose Design Award is that their notebook starts 3 months in. Entries 1–3 must exist before you tighten a single screw.

The Three Required Kickoff Entries

ENTRY 1 — Season Goal & Problem Statement ■ Green slide
  • Describe the game in one paragraph — what the robot must do to score
  • State your team's specific season goals — measurable targets, not general ambitions
  • List your constraints: build time, budget range, team size, motor count
  • Define what a successful season looks like for this team specifically
→ Open: Game Analysis — Push Back for scoring data to cite
ENTRY 2 — Game Analysis & Research ■ Green slide
  • Point values for each scoring element — cite the game manual page number
  • Autonomous bonus conditions — exact rules, not paraphrased
  • Which elements give the best points-per-second? Show the math.
  • What mechanisms have previous top programs used? Cite your sources.
ENTRY 3 — Team Roster & Roles ■ Green slide
  • Each member: name, grade, and role (Driver / Engineer / Strategist)
  • What each person owns in the notebook — one sentence per member
  • Written By and Witnessed By fields filled in from day one
📅
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
Write the Problem Statement Before the Robot Exists
The single most important structural move in a strong notebook: the problem statement and constraints are written before any mechanism is chosen. This proves to judges that the design followed the problem. When a team writes their problem statement after building, judges can tell — the constraints are suspiciously well-suited to the robot that already exists.

Criteria and Constraints Slide

After Entry 1, add a dedicated Criteria & Constraints slide. This feeds directly into your decision matrix later.

Design Criteria (what it must achieve)
  • Cycle time target
  • Autonomous scoring target
  • Reliability target (e.g., <1 jam per match)
  • End-game capability
Constraints (hard limits)
  • Size: 18″ cube at start
  • Motor count: 8 max
  • Budget: $___
  • Build time: ___ weeks to first competition
☐ Kickoff Day Checklist
  • ☐Team notebook accessed — confirm with Mr. T if missing
  • ☐Title page and team roster completed in your assigned notebook
  • ☐Entry 1: Season Goal & Problem Statement written in your own words
  • ☐Entry 2: Game Analysis & Research with scoring data cited from the game manual
  • ☐Criteria & Constraints slide added with measurable targets and hard limits
  • ☐All entries dated, Written By and Witnessed By fields completed
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// Section 04
After Every Meeting — The Session Entry
One entry per session. The standard structure that works for every type of work.
⏰
The policy: robot goes in the bag only after the notebook entry is written. 5 minutes at the end of every session. Make it a team rule, not a suggestion.

Entry Structure — Same Every Time

Header (required every entry)

Date · Session number · Members present · Location

Session Goal

What specific problem were you solving today? “Fix intake” is not a goal. “Reduce intake jam rate from 3 per match to under 1” is.

What We Did

Specific actions. If you changed a PID constant, write before and after values. If you rebuilt a joint, say what angle changed and why.

Results / Data

Numbers, not just words. “Intake jam rate: 0.8/match after compression change (was 3.0)” beats “intake works better now.”

Next Steps

What changes because of what you learned? This connects entries to each other and shows judges that your process is continuous, not episodic.

What Triggers a New Entry

❌
Entries that score poorly: “We worked on the robot.” “We tested the auton.” “Everything went well.” None of these give judges evidence. Every entry needs a specific problem, specific action, and specific result.
📝
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
The Notebook Closes the Session
End every practice in this order: (1) log your test data while it's fresh, (2) write the session entry — what changed, what the result was, what's next, (3) then put the robot away. If the entry is not written before you leave, the memory fades and the evidence is gone.

What Triggers a New Entry

✅
One person, one entry. Assign a notebook lead per session. They are responsible for the entry getting written — not for writing everything themselves. Other members add their sections in their own voice.
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// Section 05
Site Guide → Notebook Section
After using a site guide, exactly which notebook section and slide color receives that evidence.
📊
After you use a site guide, put the evidence in the right notebook section. Every guide on this site produces evidence for a specific notebook phase.

Site Guide → Notebook Section

Complete the guide, then open your team notebook and write the corresponding entry.

📊Game Analysis — Push Back→
Identify the Problem
Scoring analysis entry · Green slide
📝Engineering Notebook Guide→
Brainstorm + Decision Matrix
Concept comparison · Gold slide
🔧Mechanism Concept Sprint→
Brainstorm · Gold slide
Concept sketches and tradeoff notes
🔬Testing, Data & Iteration→
Test & Evaluate · Cyan slide
Hypothesis · data table · conclusions
🔧CAD to Build Handoff→
Build · Orange slide
CAD screenshot · labeled dimensions · BOM
🔧PID Diagnostics→
Programming · Orange slide
Before/after constants · plain-language explanation
💾Git & Version Control→
Programming · Orange slide
Git tag · what changed · why
🏎Driver Practice Curriculum→
Test & Evaluate · Cyan slide
Cycle times · error count · drill results
🏆Autonomous Strategy→
Select Solution · Purple slide
Auton choice · expected value math · decision
📊Match Scouting Sheet→
Tournament Reflect · Red slide
Alliance notes · opponent analysis
🌞Outreach, Mentoring & Service→
Appendix · Grey slide
Event name · date · students reached · hours

Brainstorming Entries — Show What You Rejected

💡
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
Document the Ideas That Did Not Make It
Expert-level brainstorm entries include the ideas that were rejected. A notebook that shows three concepts and explains why two were eliminated demonstrates systematic thinking. A notebook that only shows the chosen design raises the question: did you actually consider alternatives? Discarded ideas are evidence — document them.

Testing Entries — Write the Hypothesis First

🔬
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
The Hypothesis Goes Before the Test
Write the hypothesis before you run the test — not after. A hypothesis written after seeing the results is a summary, not a prediction. “We expect cycle time under 0.8 seconds because the roller speed at 200 RPM should clear a ring in 0.6 seconds” — written before running — is the evidence judges value. It shows engineering reasoning, not luck.
5 / 8
// Section 06
What to Write After Each Type of Work
Design decisions, build changes, code changes, competition reflections, and STEM connections.
⚙
Each type of work needs slightly different evidence. Here is what to capture so every entry earns rubric points.

After a Design Decision

■ Purple slide — Select Best Solution
  • What were the options? List all that were seriously considered
  • Decision matrix: criteria, weights, scores, totals — show the full table
  • Why does the winning option deserve to win? Written conclusion — cite the specific scores
  • What did you give up by not choosing the alternatives?
⚖
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
Show the Full Decision Matrix, Not Just the Result
Teams that write “we did a decision matrix” without showing the actual matrix score poorly. Show the filled table. Explain the weighting choices. Reference the numbers in the conclusion: “Option B scored 24/35 vs Option A at 17/35, primarily because we weighted cycle speed at 5 and B scored 4 vs A's 2.”

After a Build Change

■ Orange slide — Build Log
  • Date, members present, subsystem changed
  • What changed — specifically. Not “fixed the intake” but “increased roller gap from 2.0 to 2.4 inches”
  • Why — what evidence drove this change?
  • Before/after: a photo, sketch, or measurement comparison

After a Code Change

■ Orange slide — Programming Log
  • What the code does (plain language, not pseudocode)
  • Before constants → after constants with specific values
  • Why you changed it — what symptom or data prompted this
  • Git commit tag so the notebook links to the actual code version

After a Competition

■ Red slide — Tournament Reflection + Design Flaw ID
  • Match record, ranking, award results
  • What worked — specific mechanisms and strategies
  • What failed — with specific failure modes, not “the robot didn't work well”
  • Design Flaw Identification: ranked list of what to change before next event
🏆
⭐ Strong Notebook Move
Write the Reflection the Same Night
Reflections written on competition day or within 24 hours are genuine evidence. Reflections written two weeks later are reconstructions. Judges can use version history on digital notebooks to see when entries were actually written. Write it that night.

STEM Connection Entries

Every major mechanism needs at least one STEM entry. It does not need its own slide — it can appear within a build or test entry. Required elements:

☐ Entry Quality Check — Before You Close the Notebook
  • ☐Entry has date, Written By, and Witnessed By at the top
  • ☐Slide color matches the correct EDP phase
  • ☐Entry explains WHY, not just what happened
  • ☐Any data has units and sample size (n=__)
  • ☐Conclusion states the next action the team will take
  • ☐No AI-generated text — entirely your own words
6 / 8
// Section 07
Program Setup — Teacher Guide
How Mr. T sets up the master for six teams, what is locked, and how to check student ownership.
📋
This section covers how the notebook program is set up across all six teams. Students can skip to Section 8 for the pre-competition audit.

Setting Up the Template for 6 Teams

  1. Create one master Google Slides file. This is the template with locked layouts, color scheme, and placeholder text. Do not give students edit access to the master.
  2. Duplicate for each team. In Google Drive: right-click master → Make a copy. Name: “Team 2822A Engineering Notebook.” Share each copy only with that team.
  3. Lock the master layouts. Slide menu → Edit Master. Lock layout, font family, color palette, and all prompt text boxes. Students fill in only designated input fields.
  4. Use view-only for coach access. You can monitor all notebooks without accidentally editing them.
  5. Set a slide naming convention. Example: “B-01” for Build entry 1, “T-03” for Test entry 3. Makes coverage verification quick.

What to Lock vs What Students May Customize

🔒 Locked (all teams)
  • Slide size and orientation
  • Section color assignments
  • Font family
  • Section divider layouts
  • Required field labels
  • All prompt text
  • Appendix structure
🔓 Team Customizable
  • All written content fields
  • Photos and sketches inserted
  • Data table values
  • One team accent color (title page only)
  • Number of duplicate entry slides
  • Optional section ordering after required sections

Checking for Originality and Student Ownership

Recommended Check Schedule

Checkpoint What to Verify Minimum
End of Week 2Entries 1–4 complete, decision matrix done, build started4 entries
MonthlyEntries current, no gaps >2 sessions, test data present8–12 entries/month
2 weeks before eventFull audit checklist (Section 8)All rubric areas covered
After each eventCompetition reflection entry written that day or next session1 entry per event
7 / 8
// Section 08
Pre-Competition Audit & Resource Map
Run this 5–7 days before every competition.
📅
Run this audit 5–7 days before competition — not the night before. That gives you time to fill gaps properly, not in a rush.

Pre-Competition Notebook Checklist

❌
If you find a gap, write a brief note explaining it. “Session skipped — exam week, no practice.” A documented gap scores better than an unexplained one. Never backfill entries with false dates.

Site Resources — What Feeds Each Notebook Section

🏆
Game Analysis
Feeds: season goal entry, problem statement, strategic constraints, point value evidence
Open Game Analysis →
🔬
Testing System
Feeds: test entries — hypothesis format, protocol structure, data tables, iteration evidence
Open Testing System →
🔄
Onshape Setup + CAD to Build Handoff
Feeds: CAD entries — model screenshots, BOM evidence, design rationale documentation
Onshape →  CAD Handoff →
📊
Data Logging + PID Diagnostics
Feeds: code entries — PID constants log, before/after values, motor performance data
Data Logging →  PID Diagnostics →
🏆
Mission Control — Judge Prep
Feeds: interview preparation, STEM connections, notebook audit, PID log entries
Open Mission Control →
🎤
Judge Interview Playbook
Feeds: interview prep, team ownership map, rubric-area answers
Open Interview Playbook →
📝
After this guide, go deeper. This page is the entry point. For full rubric coverage including advanced testing protocols, decision matrices, and STEM connection writing, continue to Engineering Notebook & Design Process →
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Related Guides
🗺 Notebook Pathway Overview → 📄 Notebook Template Guide → 📝 Engineering Notebook & Design Process → 📊 Game Analysis — Push Back → 🔬 Testing, Data & Iteration → 🎤 Judge Interview Playbook → 🏆 Mission Control — Audit Tool →
← ALL GUIDES