Level III – Unit 1: What has happened?

Task 1: Colombia: A green country?

Time: 6 hours

PRE TASK
In this unit you will recognize your and others’ environmental practices.

● Communicative function: Present different human actions impact on environment

● Critical thinking:
- Students express in their own words the most relevant information
- Students distinguish between a fact (research, data and evidence) and an opinion
(experience).

Formulate the following questions. Then, socialize then in class. Use presents Perfect Tenses
• Which has been the most destructive environmental practices in your neighborhood
What have you done to reduce the environmental impact in your house or workplace?
• What good environmental practices have you seen in your neighborhood?

Write down the number of good environmental practices in the images below. Use the terms in
the vocabulary box. Then, think about how you have contributed to develop good environmental
practices.
1. This practice helps to conserve water and eliminate additional manufacture of plastics.
2. Recycle your used motor oil at service stations in your community that accept used oil.
3. Purchase products that are recyclable and reusable (cardboard, paper, plastic,
aluminum and glass).
4. Go to the car wash or wash your car on the grass.
5. Put any hazardous household products or chemicals at approved hazardous waste
collection sites.
6. Use insecticides and never increase the recommended amount.

Number: Number: Number:

Number: Number: Number:

1. create sentences using environmental situations in present perfect.

Example. I have recycled in the house

I have separated garbage in the university

2. Pre-reading: Look at the title and write what you think the reading will be about:
______________________________________________________________________________.
3. Take a look at the words in bold in the text and complete the following exercise
 4. While-reading: Underline the words unknown to you. Try to write a Spanish word that makes
sense for you according to the context. Then, verify with your dictionary, classmates or
teacher.

DURING TASK

5. Pair activity:
Working in pairs you will create 5 questions from the text above, you won’t provide the
answers. You will pass your questions to another couple and they will have to answer. Once they are
done they give you back the answers and you will discuss in groups if the answers were correct or no.

6. Write the names of the environmental issues in the images below. Use the terms in the
vocabulary box. Then, think on places in Colombia that have experienced those disasters.

· Wildfires · Volcano eruptions

· Droughts · Floods

· Famine · Mudslides

__________________________ _________________________
 _________________________ __________________________________

_________________________________ __________________________________

7. Pre-listening: Look at the image and pay attention to the title. “The Colombian grebe has
disappeared” Why do you think this animal became extinct.

At the beginning of the second paragraph, the news mentions the factors that affected the grebe
population. What has happened? ____________________________________________________.

While-listening: Click on the image and watch the video. Take notes while listening. Write what you
see or words and expressions you identify.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmPD6Km0Ls
Post-listening: Choose true or false according to the video.

Statement True False

a.Nobody has seen an albino spider monkey in the field.

b. Deforestation has caused animals to move out of their territories.

c. Gregorio has lived there for some months.

d. The water in Colombia territories has been polluted.

e. Government has helped to improve the air quality.

POST TASK

8. Work in pairs. Choose one of the following news and evaluate the source.
Then, read the article and present the story in your own words. Relate what has
happened in Colombia in terms of environmentalist practices that provoked those
catastrophes.
● https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/01/colombia-landslide-mocoa-putumayo-
heavy-rains

● https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/nov/08/earthquakes-mudslides-active-volcano-
worlds-riskiest-city-manizales-colombia

● https://colombiareports.com/colombia-burns-wildfires-spread/