Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación

Course: English 3
Code: 90121

Activity Guide and Evaluation Rubric – Task 4 Speaking task

1. Activity Description
Type of activity: Individual
Evaluation moment: Intermediate Unit 2
Highest score of the activity: 95 points
The activity starts on: Tuesday, June 28, The activity ends on: Thursday, July 28,
2022 2022
With this activity, you are expected to achieve the following learning
outcomes:
The student will be able to talk about environmental issues by describing situations
and giving points of view about the topic.
Con esta actividad, se espera que logre los siguientes resultados de aprendizaje:
El estudiante será capaz de hablar sobre temas ambientales describiendo situaciones
y dando puntos de vista sobre el tema.
The activity consists of:

 Focus on Vocabulary: Match the expressions with their meanings

La actividad consiste en:

• Concéntrese en el vocabulario: haga coincidir las expresiones con sus significados

Table 1. Environmental problems

1. Environment ( ) a. birds/plants/species animals or plants which may
soon not exist because there are very few now alive.
2. carbon dioxide ( ) b. variety of plant and animal species that exist in a
particular environmental area
3. Flood ( ) c. the poisonous gas formed by the burning of carbon,
4. natural resources ( ) especially in the form of car fuel.
d. the cutting down of trees in a large area; the
5. global warming ( ) destruction of forests
e. air, water and land in or on which people, animals
6. greenhouse effect ( ) and plants live.
7. deforestation ( ) f. increase in world temperatures caused by polluting
gases
8. oil slick ( ) g. a layer of oil that is floating over a large area of the
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9. endangered species (
1. Medio ambiente ( )
2. dióxido de carbono ( )
3. Inundación ( )
4. recursos naturales ( )
5. calentamiento global ( )
6. efecto invernadero ( )
7. deforestación ( )
8. mancha de aceite ( )
9. especies en peligro de
extinción ( )
surface of the sea
) h. damage caused to water, air.... by harmful
substances or waste.
una. pájaros/plantas/especies animales o plantas que
pronto pueden no existir porque ahora hay muy pocos
vivos.
b. variedad de especies de plantas y animales que
existen en un área ambiental particular
C. el gas venenoso formado por la quema de carbono,
especialmente en forma de combustible para
automóviles.
d. la tala de árboles en un área grande; la destrucción
de los bosques
mi. aire, agua y tierra en o sobre los cuales viven
personas, animales y plantas.
F. aumento de la temperatura mundial causado por los
gases contaminantes
gramo. una capa de petróleo que está flotando sobre
una gran área de la superficie del mar
H. daños causados al agua, al aire... por daños nocivos
sustancias o residuos.
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10. pollution ( ) i. the gas formed when carbon is burned, or when
people or animals breathe out.
11. drought ( ) j. a long period when there is little or no rain
k. a large amount of water covering an area that is
12. fumes ( ) usually dry.
13. waste ( ) l. an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and
other gases in the atmosphere
14. carbon monoxide ( ) m. strong, unpleasant and sometimes dangerous gas
or smoke
15. biodiversity ( ) n. things such as minerals, forests, coal, etc. which
10. contaminación ( ) exist in a place and can be used by people.
o. unwanted matter or material of any type, often that
11. sequía ( )
which is left after useful substances or parts have been
12. humos ( ) removed.
13. desperdicio ( ) i. el gas que se forma cuando se quema el carbón, o
cuando las personas o los animales exhalan.
14. monóxido de carbono ( )
j. un largo período cuando hay poca o ninguna lluvia
15. biodiversidad ( ) k. una gran cantidad de agua que cubre un área que
generalmente está seca.
yo un aumento en la cantidad de dióxido de carbono y
otros gases en la atmósfera
metro. gas o humo fuerte, desagradable y a veces
peligroso
norte. cosas tales como minerales, bosques, carbón,
etc. que existen en un lugar y pueden ser utilizadas por
personas.
o materia no deseada o material de cualquier tipo, a
menudo que
que queda después de que se hayan eliminado las
sustancias o partes útiles.

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  Listening: listen to these items about environmental issues and complete the
sentences with the words in the box. (environmental issues)
 • Listening: escucha estos ítems sobre temas ambientales y completa las frases con
las palabras del recuadro. (cuestiones ambientales)

oil spill - poor air quality - extreme weather - water scarcity - sustainable
environment - Pollution - Flooding - Oil spills - carbon footprint - melting ice cap -
wind power - drought - Fracking - forest fires
derrame de petróleo - mala calidad del aire - clima extremo - escasez
de agua - medio ambiente sostenible - contaminación - inundaciones -
derrames de petróleo - huella de carbono - derretimiento de la capa de
hielo - energía eólica - sequía - fracking - incendios forestales
Item a: There is a global water crisis, and drought have left to 844
million people lacking access to clean water

Ítem a: Hay una crisis mundial del agua,__________ y la sequía ha dejado a 844 millones de
personas sin acceso a agua limpia

Item b: Oil accidents at sea can cause which contaminate the ocean water
resulting in the death of sea birds and other forms of marine life

Punto b: Los accidentes petroleros en el mar pueden causar que se contamine el agua del
océano resultando en la muerte de aves marinas y otras formas de vida marina

Item c: growing trees, plants and your own vegetables help contribute to a_______

Ítem c: cultivar árboles, plantas y tus propios vegetales ayuda a contribuir a a______

Item d: or drilling on the ground for oil and gas, often contaminates the water
supplies.

Punto d: o la perforación en el suelo en busca de petróleo y gas, a menudo contamina los

suministros de agua.

Item e: Increase is a consequence of deforestation which is the cutting

down of too many trees.

Ítem e: El aumento es consecuencia de la deforestación que es la tala de demasiados

árboles.

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Item f: One of the most common forms of renewable energy is
which is electricity generated by wind turbines

Punto f: Una de las formas más comunes de energía renovable es la electricidad generada por
turbinas eólicas

Item g: Air pollution and _ is a big problem in many

cities around the world

Ítem g: La contaminación del aire y _ es un gran problema en muchas ciudades alrededor del
mundo

Item h: includes tornados, cyclones and extremely high or

low temperatures.

Ítem h: incluye tornados, ciclones y temperaturas extremadamente altas o bajas.

Item i: Cars and planes burn fuel, when you travel by plane or car, you contribute to the
burning of fuel; this is your

Inciso i: Los autos y aviones queman combustible, cuando viajas en avión o en auto,
contribuyes a la quema de combustible; esta es tu

Item j: Polar bears living in the artic are impacted by the

Item k: seem to be hotter and worst every summer.

Ítem j: Los osos polares que viven en el ártico se ven afectados por la
Punto k: parece que hace más calor y peor cada verano.

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 Pronunciation practice: choose 5 of the items above, practice the pronunciations
and record them in a mp3 format, then share your recording in the forum.
You can use the sound recorder from your computer, or an online resource as
http://vocaroo.com/

• Práctica de pronunciación: elija 5 de los elementos anteriores, practique las

pronunciaciones y grábelas en formato mp3, luego comparta su grabación en el
foro.
Puede usar la grabadora de sonido de su computadora o un recurso en línea
como http://vocaroo.com/

 Speaking production: for this step you can choose one of these two options.
(Whatever your decision, post it in the forum)

 • Producción oral: para este paso puede elegir una de estas dos opciones. (Sea cual
sea tu decisión, publícala en el foro)

1. Speaking game: during this activity, you will interact with your tutor an e-mates
in a synchronous meeting, where you will play a game which consist in spinning a
wheel that allows you to get a question at random to be answered (see example)

1. Juego de hablar: durante esta actividad, interactuarás con tu tutor y e-mates en

una reunión sincrónica, donde jugarás un juego que consiste en hacer girar una
rueda que te permite obtener una pregunta al azar para ser respondida (ver
ejemplo)

! You need to register your participation in the drive provided by your tutor.
! Necesitas registrar tu participación en el drive proporcionado por tu tutor.

Some of the questions that may appear are: (however your tutor can ask more
questions)

Algunas de las preguntas que pueden aparecer son: (no obstante tu tutor puede
hacer más preguntas)

a. Tell me about yourself. (Personal information)

una. Háblame de ti. (Informacion personal)

b. What do you do to help the environment?

c. ¿Qué haces para ayudar al medio ambiente?

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 d. For you, what are some consequences of consumerism? How can you help to
reduce it?
e. Para ti, ¿cuáles son algunas consecuencias del consumismo? ¿Cómo puedes
ayudar a reducirlo?

f. How can you lower your carbon footprint?

F. ¿Cómo puedes reducir tu huella de carbono?

g. What is the difference between carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide?

gramo. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el monóxido de carbono y el dióxido de
carbono?

h. What is the greenhouse effect?

H. ¿Qué es el efecto hibernadero?

i. What is the worst environmental problem in your region? What causes it?
¿Cuál es el peor problema ambiental en su región? ¿Qué lo causa?

j. In your opinion, why are the rainforest disappearing in our country? How could
it be solved?
En su opinión, ¿por qué está desapareciendo la selva tropical en nuestro país?
¿Cómo se podría solucionar?

k. What is the global warming?

k. ¿Qué es el calentamiento global?

l. In your opinion, why is water shortage happening in some parts of Colombia?

How could it be solved?
yo En tu opinión, ¿por qué se presenta escasez de agua en algunas partes de
Colombia? ¿Cómo se podría solucionar?

2. Video: In case you cannot participate in the speaking game, you can record a four-
to-five-minute video where you talk about one of the following environmental
situations that affect our country:
Video: En caso de que no puedas participar en el juego de hablar, puedes grabar
un video de cuatro a cinco minutos donde hables sobre alguna de las siguientes
situaciones ambientales que afectan a nuestro país:

1. Deforestation and forest fires in Amazonas as strategy to expand agricultural

frontiers and pastures to feed livestock

Deforestación e incendios forestales en Amazonas como estrategia para ampliar

la frontera agrícola y los pastos para alimentar al Ganado

2. Poaching and illegal trafficking of flora and fauna in Colombia, illegal timber trade.
2. Caza furtiva y tráfico ilegal de flora y fauna en Colombia, comercio ilegal de
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 madera.
3. Illegal minery and overexploitation of natural resources.
Minería ilegal y sobreexplotación de los recursos naturales.

4. Defense and protection of social, environmental and indigenous leaders.

Defensa y protección de líderes sociales, ambientales e indígenas.

5. Environmental problems associated with the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Problemas ambientales asociados al uso de pesticidas y fertilizantes

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Important:

 For your video you must introduce yourself (name, city, profession/ job, current
studies or career), start your topic with an introduction (how the problematic started
and place), develop the idea (description of the problem, how the community is being
affected) and conclude the topic by giving some solutions to the problem you chose
(what recommendations or advice you can give to solve the problem)
 Develop a script for your video and share it in the forum, so you can get feedback from
your tutor or group mates.
 Record your video in selfie mode; then, upload it to YouTube (set the privacy to
PUBLIC) and share the link in the Speaking forum.
 Practice your pronunciation using an online tool as http://www.fromtexttospeech.com/
or https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/

For the development of the activity consider that:

In the Initial Information Environment, you must:

 Revise the agenda of the course to be informed about the starting and closing dates of
the activity.

In the Learning Environment, you must:

 Go over the grammar topics and activities in modules 7 to 12 of the e-book.
 Take part in the speaking forum by posting your contributions on time.
 Read the activity guide carefully.

In the Evaluation Environment, you must:

 submit your final document to the evaluation environment

Evidences of individual work:

The individual evidence to be submitted is:

A document with the following information:

 Cover.
 Development of the vocabulary activity “focus on vocabulary”
 Development of the listening practice “Listening”
 Development of the “Pronunciation practice”
 A screenshot If you take part in the “speaking game” (option 1)
 The script and the link if you record the video. (Option 2)
Note: your final document must be named as follow:

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 Task 4_student’s name_group number
(Task 4_Pedro Salazar_255)

Evidences of collaborative work:

No collaborative evidence is required in this activity.

2. General Guidelines for the Development of Evidences to Submit

For Individual evidences, consider the following:

 Each student must take part in the forum within the dates stablished in the agenda.

 Before submitting the final paper, each student should check that it meets all the
requirements mentioned in this activity guide.

 Each student must submit their own document.

Please keep in mind that all individual or collaborative written products must comply
with the spelling rules and presentation conditions defined in this activity guide.
Regarding the use of references, consider that the product of this activity must
comply with APA style.
In any case, make sure you comply with the rules and avoid academic plagiarism.
You can review your written products using the Turnitin tool found in the virtual
campus.

Under the Academic Code of Conduct, the actions that infringe the academic order,
among others, are the following: paragraph e) Plagiarism is to present as your own
work all or part of a written report, task or document of invention carried out by
another person. It also implies the use of citations or lack of references, or it
includes citations where there is no match between these and the reference and
paragraph f) To reproduce, or copy for profit, educational resources or results of
research products, which have rights reserved for the University. (Acuerdo 029 - 13
de diciembre de 2013, artículo 99)

The academic penalties students will face are:

a) In case of academic fraud demonstrated in the academic work or evaluation, the
score obtained will be zero (0.0) without any disciplinary measures being derived.
b) In case of proven plagiarism in academic work of any nature, the score obtained
will be zero (0.0), without any disciplinary measures being derived.

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3. Evaluation Rubric Template

Type of activity: Individual

Evaluation moment: Intermediate Unit 2
The highest score in this activity is 95 points
First evaluation High level:
criterion: The speech is carried out with normal pauses and few
hesitation, the ideas convey clearly the target topic.
Fluency & If your work is at this level, you can get between 15
coherence points and 25 points

This criterion Average level:

represents 25 The speech is carried out with frequent pauses and some
points of the total hesitation, the ideas are somewhat clear.
of 95 points of
the activity. If your work is at this level, you can get between 5
points and 14 points

Low level:
The speech is carried out with long pauses and hesitation, the
ideas are uneven and incomprehensible.
The student doesn’t take part in the activity

If your work is at this level, you can get between 0

points and 4 points
Second evaluation High level:
criterion: Pronunciation and intonation are always good which makes the
speech sounds natural most of the time.
Pronunciation
If your work is at this level, you can get between 15
This criterion points and 25 points
represents 25
points of the total Average level:
of 95 points of
the activity. Some pronunciation and intonation problems that sometimes
interfere with the speech comprehension.

If your work is at this level, you can get between 5

points and 14 points

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 Low level:

Multiple pronunciation and intonation problems which makes

the speech hard to understand.
The student doesn’t take part in the activity

If your work is at this level, you can get between 0

points and 4 points
Third evaluation High level:
criterion:
Grammatical and lexical elements according to the level are
Grammar and used accurately what makes the conversation smooth and
vocabulary clear.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 15
points and 25 points
This criterion
represents 25 Average level:
points of the total
of 95 points of Some grammatical and lexical errors that do not interfere with
the activity. the comprehension of the speech.

If your work is at this level, you can get between 5

points and 14 points

Low level:

Frequent grammatical and lexical errors that significantly

affects the communication
The student doesn’t take part in the activity

If your work is at this level, you can get between 0

points and 4 points
Fourth evaluation High level:
criterion: All the practice activities are carried out and submitted
correctly according to the guidelines (Vocabulary, listening,
Practice pronunciation and video script (only the ones who record the
activities. video)).
If your work is at this level, you can get between 11
points and 20 points

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This criterion
represents 20 Average level:
points of the total Some practice activities are developed and submitted according
of 95 points of to the guidelines, or they present some mistakes.
the activity.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 5
points and 10 points

Low level:

Practice activities are not carried out or they are all incorrect.

If your work is at this level, you can get between 0

points and 4 points

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