Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación Course:

English III
Code: 518008

Activity Guide and Evaluation Rubric – Unit 3 - Task 6 – Let's discuss it

1. Activity Description

Type of activity: Independent

Evaluation moment: Intermediate Unit 3
Highest score of the activity: 65 points
The activity starts on: June 6, 2023 The activity ends on: July 7, 2023

With this activity, you are expected to achieve the following learning outcome:

- To join two or more ideas in a logical way to have a more structured and harmonious delivery.

The activity consists of:

ACTIVITY 1. GETTING READY.
Suggested timeline: 6-20 June

Answer the following questions on the forum. Read your classmates’ answers and post a response to their
comments. If you take information from a website or another source, make sure you paraphrase and cite correctly.
QUESTIONS
1. What are podcasts and why they can be a good resource to learn and practice English?
2. What is an Essay? Have you written essays before (either in English or in Spanish)?
How was the experience of writing essays?
3. How are you going to prepare the development of this task – Task 6?

ACTIVITY 2. PODCAST LISTENING PRACTICE

Suggested timeline: 6-20 June

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Podcasts can be an informative source for research, either through scripted, non-fiction series that delve
into a specific topic or news briefs with interviews from experts and people affected by a story.

1. Check the website https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english

2. Choose a podcast. Free topic.
3. Listen and work on understanding the topic developed on the podcast selected. Pay special attention
to topic’s comments by the host.
4. Apply the listening comprehension strategies recommended HERE
5. Visit the forum, make sure you answered the questions for Activity 1 and also post the link to your
chosen podcast in the forum. Briefly write why you selected your podcast.

ACTIVITY 3. WRITING: PARAGRAPH AND ESSAY WRITING

Suggested timeline: June 21-July 6

Write an original four paragraph essay to discuss the topic presented on the podcast.
The four-paragraph essay consists of an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion:

 The introduction paragraph gives a general sense of the main ideas.

 The first and the second supporting paragraphs back up the main ideas providing new pieces of
information, relevant details, examples or facts.
 A conclusion paragraph that summarizes the main ideas and give a closure to the essay.

Remember that you have to write well developed paragraphs. They are important because they break down your
ideas into convenient sections that a reader can easily understand. A paragraph could have between 3 and 8
complete sentences.
Make sure you review grammar, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation markers.

See resources and examples about paragraph and essay writing in the sub folder shared on Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GXo-XfsduwZEPz5H2rZUBu3_RCJf2NrV?usp=sharing
Also, attend the third web conference (January 14), in this session the tutor will provide further guidance on
paragraph
and essay writing.

Post your essay draft in the forum (word document). Review your classmates’ drafts and post some feedback
comments.

ACTIVITY 4. DISCUSSION – SPEAKING SESSIONS

Suggested timeline: June 23-July 6

1. Register for a Speaking session completing the form

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I5bDW01u4Cl6mJ-
7X0YG3hBI1NhlOeQXs5K01qcwenM/edit?usp=sharing
2. Take a screenshot of your registration, this is an evidence that will be required by the tutor.

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There will be two or three students in each timetable.
3. You will share the topic of the podcast selected and the progress you have made on your essay. The
tutor will ask you some questions about the podcast and the essay, and will provide some feedback as
well.

-In one or two minutes, summarise the topic of your podcast.

-Listen to your classmates. Ask questions about your classmates’ podcasts. Answer your classmates’ and
teacher’s questions.
-Share the progress you have made on your essay. The teacher can ask you to share your draft (share screen).

For the development of the activity consider that:

In the Initial Information Environment, you must:

Check the Course Agenda to organize your time.

Verify the dates of the Web Conferences so that you can plan your participation accordingly.
Verify your tutors’ synchronous support on Skype.

In the Learning Environment, you must:

Download the Syllabus of the course to read.
Participate in the forum to get feedback from e-mates and tutor.

In the Evaluation Environment, you must:

Upload a PDF file with the task’s individual evidence. Identify your file as follows:518008 - Task 6 – Your Full
Name.pdf

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Evidence of independent work:

The independent evidence to be submitted is

A PDF file named 518008 - Task 6 - Your Full Name.pdf with the following pages:
1. Cover Page
2. Answers to Activity 1
3. Essay –Activity 3
4. APA References
Evidence of collaborative work:

No collaborative evidence is required in this activity.

2. General Guidelines for the Development of Evidence to Submit

For independent evidence, consider the following:

▪ Be sure to write proper citations and references for other sources you might use.
▪ Be sure to answer all the questions with your own words.
▪ Be sure to revise content, structure and mechanics in everything you post inthe forums and/or
sent for evaluation.
Before submitting the requested product, student should check that it meets all the requirements mentioned
in this activity guide.

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 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. https://repository.unad.edu.co/static/pdf/Norma_APA_7_Edicion.pdf

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 - 13de 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, thescore 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.

3. Evaluation Rubric
Type of activity: Independent
Evaluation moment: Intermediate Unit 3
The highest score in this activity is 65 points

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First evaluation High level: The student participated in the speaking sessions with a high
criterion: performance.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 11 points and 20 points
Speaking sessions.
*Modification:
Speaking about your
podcast and essay

This criterion Average level: The student partially participated in the

represents 20 points of speaking sessions.
the total of 65 points of If your work is at this level, you can get between 11 points and 2 points
the activity.
Low level: The student did not participate in the speaking sessions,
or his/her participation was minimum.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0 points and 1 point.

Second evaluation High level: The student demonstrates ability to speak about a general topic
criterion: during one minute with good pronunciation and intonation.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 10 points and 7 points
Speak and improve video

*Modification:
Speaking about your
podcast in the speaking
session.
This criterion represents Average level: The student demonstrates little ability to speak about a general
15 points of the total of topic during one minute with fair pronunciation and intonation.
65 points of the activity. If your work is at this level, you can get between 6 points and 2 points

Low level: The student demonstrates many difficulties to speak about a general
topic. There are some mistakes related o t pronunciation and intonation.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0 point
and 1 point

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Third evaluation High level: The student demonstrates ability to understand and write the
criterion: fundamental ideas from the podcast and argue about them.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 15points and 10 points
Descriptive essay and
recording.

* Modification:Only
the writing section
Average level: The student demonstrates little ability to understand and write
This criterion the fundamental ideas from the podcast and argue about them.
represents 15 points of If your work is at this level, you can get between 9points and 2 points
the total of 65 points of
the activity. Low level: The student has many difficulties to understand and write the
fundamental ideas from the podcast and argue about them.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 1 point

Fourth evaluation High level: The student uploaded his/her contributions to the forum on time,
criterion: answered the classmates’ questions and made 3 deep comments to his/her
classmates’ work.
Forum interaction and If your work is at this level, you can get between 15 points and 10 points
feedback on
classmates’ Average level: The student uploaded his/her contributions o t the forum on time
contributions but did not answer the classmates’ question and/or did not make comments their
classmates’ work/ the comments to his/her classmates’ work were not deep.
This criterion If your work is at this level, you can get between 9 points and 2 points
represents 15 points of
the total of 65 points of Low level: The student did not upload his/her contributions to the forum on
the activity. time and/or did not any comments to his/her classmates’ work and/or did not
answer the classmates’ questions. If your work is at this level, you can
get
between 0 point and 1 point.