Project: Solving Problems in my University / City / Country

What is a project?

Some activities to develop during the Project

1. Define your topic
2. Organize your team
3. State your questions to narrow down the topic
4. Chose the texts types and formats
5. Look for information related to your topic and questions
6. Analize the information you find from different sources
7. Read the information (highligh, underline, look for unknown words, etc.)
8. Classify and summarize your information
9. Write your own ideas and texts
10. Edit your texts

11. Prepare your presentations

GLOBAL ISSUES

Reading Comprehension Activities

Developing reading academic abilities in the Project

These reading activities intend to illustrate an academic methodology of texts analysis that helps students to recognize text features such as texts patterns and structure, paragraph characteristics, main and supporting ideas, logical relations among ideas, text cohesion and coherence, and word and grammatical choices. Also, students will question the texts concerning their context, purpose and audience.

Academic texts will be explored by students considering the following reading activities and analysis:

Looking for academic texts in databases, academic journals, or websites.
Chose an academic paper of your field of interest. You may find an academic paper in this database:http://www.biomedcentral.com/journals

The university also counts on databases available for the academic community using the username and password.http://sinab.unal.edu.co/index.php/recursos-bibliograficos/bases-de-datos

This is one example of academic paper that you can use for the analysis.https://app.box.com/s/8dcjx4u7ky9jz6zimo3dtpeh5azh5nx3

Do the following analysis with the paper you chose:

1. Recognition of Topics: 
Recognize the topics of the text (Write the key words of the paper).

2. Analysis of sections of the text: 
Identify the titles, subtitles and headings. Write on the margins the sections of the paper (introduction, paragraphs with specific ideas or topics, conclusion)

Design the topic outline of the article: 

Thesis: -------- 
Introduction: ----- 
1. (Main idea) 
A. (Supporting idea)
B. (Supporting idea)
C. (Supporting idea) 

2. (Main idea)
A. (Supporting idea)
B. (Supporting idea)
C. (Supporting idea) 

3. (Main idea)
A. (Supporting idea)
B. (Supporting idea)
C. (Supporting idea) 

Conclusion 

Look at the following example:

Introduction: The importance of bats for the environment

A. General features of bats
   1. Bats Feeding
   2. Bats Behavior

B. Benefits and importance for the environment
   1. Bats as pollinators
   2. Bats as food chain regulators

Conclusion: recommendations to preserve them

 

3. Analysis of Paragraphs: 
- Underline or highlight the main idea of each paragraph with one color.
- Underline or highlight the secondary supporting ideas with other color.
- Write the topic of each paragraph on the margins of the text. Remember that the topic of a paragraph is expressed in key words or concepts. Ex:Common bats behavior

4. Analysis of terminology and parts of speech:
Build a glossary with 15 terms or words from the text. Write the definition of the word in English and the part of speech of it. You can use a monolingual dictionary to define the words:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/britanico/

If the word is a specific term of a field of knowledge you can use Technical Dictionaries:http://www.engineering-dictionary.org/Materials-Science-and-Engineering-Dictionary/
http://dictionary.babylon.com/science/

5. Graphic Organizer:
Organize, classify and summarize the information of the text using an appropriate graphic organizer. Remember that the purpose of a graphic organizer is to represent graphically the main themes or ideas of a text and the logical relations existing among them.

You can use the following graphic organizers according to the text you chose:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/spanish/
http://edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm

You can also design your own graphic with an online tool:

SpiderScribe

SpiderScribe es una herramienta web online desarrollada en Flash. Permite generar un mapa al que iremos añadiendo diferentes nodos arrastrándolos hasta la zona principal de la aplicación, disponiendo de nodos de textos, de archivos, de imágenes, de localización y de calendario. Nuestros mapas mentales pueden ser privados o bien permitir el acceso a una serie de usuarios concretos, ya sea para visualizarlo o bien para que puedan efectuar modificaciones. Si queremos hacer público nuestro mapa mental, podemos permitir el acceso a quienes facilitemos el enlace.

https://bubbl.us/

Es una aplicación online gratuita que facilita la creación de diagramas o mapas del tipo brainstorm(lluvia de ideas). Su servicio posibilita el trabajo colaborativo, la opción de embeber o incrustar los diagramas en cualquier web, y la exportación de mapas en formato de imagen. No es necesario crear una cuenta para utilizarlo, aunque para guardar los mapas online sí es necesario. Su interfaz es muy sencilla e intuitiva, aunque también limitada en lo que se puede agregar a nuestro mapa. Perfecta para crear esquemas directos y rápidos, sin elementos que distraigan de las ideas.

(Tomado del Curso virtual Producción Audiovisual de Materiales Pedagógicos, Universidad Nacional - Sede Medellín. Profesora Alejandra Agudelo)

Choose the most appropriate graphic organizer for your project

Take a look at the following examples:

6. Analysis of connectors or linking words.
Select 10 sentences from the text that include linking words or connectors. Specify what kind of connector is. Recognizing connectors or linking words will help you analyze the logical relations existing among themes or ideas in the text.
You can find a summary of connectors below:

7. Analysis of word and grammatical choices
Each text uses a range of verb tenses, word choices, or grammatical structures that correspond to the genre and purpose of it. In this activity, you should analyze the main verb tenses, the use of active or passive voice, modals, imperatives, kind of adjectives to describe or give opinions, style (personal or impersonal), level of formality, etc.

8. Analysis of Context, Purpose and Audience of texts
To recognize the context of a text you should ask questions such as:
Who wrote the text?
When was the text written?
Where was the text written?
Where was the text published?

To recognize the purpose of the text you should consider the following intentions:
Does the text intend to Inform, narrate, recount, describe or illustrate a fact? These are some text types and their purposes:

Recount

Retells past events or experiences

Sequences events in the order they happened

Narrative

Tells a story mainly used to entertain, motivate or teach

Aims to get attention and maintain interest

Ex: a real life drama, a fable, a fairy tale story, mystery,

Information Report

Provides information by stating facts

Describes or classifies information

Description

Describes the characteristics of a particular thing

Often used in other text types

Procedure

Tells how to make or do something

Give instructions

Ex: a recipe or machine manual

Discussion

Presents both sides of an issue

Outlines arguments for and against the topic

Persuasion - Exposition

States a point of view with supporting evidence

Influences opinions or sells something

Response

Describes personal reactions to a subject or event

May be used for a review, feedback or an assessment

To recognize the audience of a text you should ask the following questions?

According to the level of difficulty of the language used, the topics or ideas complexity, the organization of the text, or the level of formality, is the text written for...
-Children
-Elementary students
-High school students,
-University students of any field
-Researchers
-A specific community

These are some sample texts analysis of a Reading Comprehension Class. These students gave permission to share this material with the university community:
Sample 1
Sample 2 
Sample 3
Sample 4

Political Campaign

DEBATE

SPEECHES:

Team 01: León, Jhan, Anderson


Team 02: Maria Alejandra, Mauro, Valentina, Jeison

Speech

Unfortunely, i can’t begin this speech with good news, cause is there much that can be better, and there’s not. Sir Isaac Newton taught us that the earth takes care of us like a mother that doesn’t allow her son away from her, but actually, the earth show us that it is impossible to hold the fact our way of life many more years. Water shortage, extremely processed food, overcrowding, overexploitation of resources, and many more facts sized the big problem that is call at the door.

We are a population with curiosity in science and how use our resources. We suprise like childs when we see gold, diamont, or emerald, and we dont say that is bad. So what is the really problem?... we are to much, and we are growth meanwhile time pass. But… how did this happend?... well, the really is that is our fault. If in a glass live a bacteria with a exponential growth, in 1 hour the glass could be full of them. But the really problem is that in the 59 minute, the glass is half full, adn the 58 minute the glass is a quarter full, and the 57 minute it a eighth part, and the same way in each minute of the hour. In the minute 50 the glass look like empty, althougth in just 10 minutes the glass will be full. When bacteria take care of fill the glass?... are you worry meanwhile our planet have the double or more of resources that we need?... i understand that maybe is very difficult to see, but we are in 59 minute.

We need a change, mainly in our way to see the human reproduction, the way to talk about sex, and the way to learn to the young people use the sexuality.

what we can do?... just pay attemption and see why with your aprove we can chage de world!!! In 4 solution we belive that the overpopulation could be decrease.        

Solutions:

-          Increase sexual education in vulnerable territories:

Increase sexual with many education courses, exhibitions, conferences, and something we think would do very innovative… festivals on enjoying sex!!!.. without later regret, respecting the beliefs of each person.

-          improve sex education model:

Model of sex education aims to provoke fear, discomfort, and insecurity about sex, to a youth who already knows it, and they dont belive anything about it, knowing that it is neither uncomfortable nor bad, nor is it something to fear ... in this way its better guide the young that simply contradict them, so should be considered a new model…

-          find a new more pleasant and effective contraceptive method:

Many contraceptive methods users complain of certain disagreements, that causing many people dont use any method ... we want to make a video for universities, that proposed to  the creation of a new and improved contraception method. Maybe even Colombia is recognized worldwide for having the most important companies in reproductive technology development planning hahaha

-          make contraceptive methods be available to anyone, in anywhere:

Perhaps the worst problem is the long work to make people aware, so at this point it is important to prevent mass reproduction in young population. for this reason, we believe it is better to put the condom dispensers for $ 200 across the country, like in our university... many of these  new dispensers will steal, and many others will harm, but at least several these will be used, and its more important the environmental impact of 10 new babies into the world, that 50 dollars of dispenser.

We can´t this speech with a good news, but everything could be change, everything could be better… and this speech finish with the promise that the world will be better… with a important good new.

Team 03: Paula Chaparro, Felipe, Andrés Roldán, Jacobo

Speech.

The discrimination of woman is a problem that has existed  alony of the history of humanity.

Presently problem is largest in “Medio Oriente”  and developing countries. colombia  presents this difficulties, for example in  Colombia until now has not existed any president of female gender and this problem is present in majority of jobs.

¿Do you believe that women don't have capacities to manage as the men?

an example that answers the question is Benazir Bhutto , first woman minister of a islamic country, she was during two terms the first woman minister of Pakistan; in a very conservative country with respect to manner of woman.

¿Really woman has a political own identity?

At present no, but if woman begins to show her qualities to lead her family in the politics, woman will have persuasion expressing her ideas and a better image of leader with electors.

¿Why woman must have  more implication in the politics?

woman tends to be less held to the corruption, this is a guarantee of that can have a largest participation in the politics, because for training,woman knows to manage better.

¿What is necessary for to do a significative change?

To achieve a change is essential to have a level of education that emphasizes the criterion of equal rights and duties for men and women.

Classmates, we count on their votes for the world to accept that women currently demonstrate with facts and arguments a wide range of alternatives put in place to deal with their role, and in some cases mediating a high cost, they break barriers, they get success and social recognition.

Team 04: Verónica, Andrés Vargas, Paola, Natalia

Speech

Hello partners,

Today I came to talk about education. Education is the most important aspect in the structure of a society because people have a minimum of education, either going to an institution or education provided by parents at home. In this case I am going to speak specifically of education at the university.

Have you thought that what you want study is what you want to do your whole life? Do you know what is the field work of your curriculum? Why are you studying the program you choose? Because of conviction, vocation or obligation. Did you know that one of every two students entering college no completed his studies?

In general, the country’s universities haven’t a good distribution in their curriculum, because when we finished the university we crush with the laboral life, because in the classrooms we learn about philosophy and maths but never about the daily work that we really do.

we need a learning plan that allow at the students to know more about the laboral life, when the student will learn more about him future tasks and not only the theory. we need that the industry and the university talk together and that the courses about entrepreneurship will be like the rice in the fields, too important like the calculus or other matters.

did You think about what it actually to do in the application areas in your program? Your best tool is the theory? On leaving the work area we are convinced that the acquired skills that were mostly in the area theoretical will be enough to face the day to day,which on occasion is not so and this is reflected in a drop out of professionals in the academic program because the daily activities do not meet expectations. That is why we propose a theoretical education with necessary practical experience, experience that leads to more knowledge in the activities running daily the professional of  the curriculum to which we belong. Adding materials requiring physical results of practice, in order to understand the various applications of the academic program.

Do you think it is better to work for others or for yourself? a major problem in public higher education is focused on creating work for large companies and non-professional formation of innovative students own their own businesses, able to create and maintain these in time. To encourage the creation of companies by our students a course for all programs where a business idea will be developed through the generation of an innovative product or service is created. The development of this idea involves the final presentation of the product or service and an economic incentive for the 3 best ideas, this with the aim of encouraging students to bring their idea to market.

For professional life ability to communicate your views verbally and in writing is essential, after school communication skills of some students they are poor and continue through college without improving. Communicate knowledge allows people to have good relationships and build credibility with others.  For this, we propose that in all subjects, while possible, written assignments with all that that entails , in addition to a subject or an additional course in the rules for cite , use of punctuation are taught to be promoted, writing techniques and other knowledge base to help us in a better way our ideas on paper.

Thank you very much and Vote 4 Vero.

Team 05: Jonathan, Maria Alejandra Flórez, David, Daniel Ceballos, Daniel Cardona

Speech

Is there violence in Medellin or an old story?

The cries, the shots, the cries of others and even my family, fear in the neighborhoods of the city, were things that marked my childhood.

How violence affects us in Medellin?

In different parts of the city it feels violence at any moment we can steal and hurt. All citizens are afraid of being attacked by mistake or did not accede to the demands of criminals. Now, the truth is that we can not walk quiet town with our belongings, as the saying goes, "We must not give papaya".

Do you feel safe?. I do not! Education in homes is poor, the children reflect their comportamienta and little desire to be successful, they are a reflection of the lack of values ​​and love at home.

Therefore, I consider that one of the main factors of violence in Medellin is the lack of education in the home, children grow up watching their parents fight, and grow in a society where children are treated as an adult more.

Violence is also created by the low remuneration in the salary of people in the city, a basic wage is not enough to cover basic needs and for this reason, parents are obliged to extend their working hours or job search more or in extreme cases to commit crimes will not pass your family needs.

My intention is not to justify the acts of criminals, I think just alternatives for people in difficult situations, violence affects us all, then we can all do something to improve.

Do you think we have a similar behavior or equal to nustros grandparents?

I think not, fear urgency in the street are not the mismso to bind years, other people see them with suspicion and are not as friendly as before, our warm and friendly culture has been lost by fear.

Do you think that violence affects the economy?

Tourists do not feel safe in a violent city, this implies that merchants, hotels closed doors.

Finally, we must begin by improving education and culture to reduce inequality so evident in our mountain city.


Team 06: Oscar, Maria Fernanda, Alejandra Escobar, Wendy

Speech

Why you should vote for me? Why I am most appropriate? Because I of the hand of yours work for a city better. we will improve, will walk to a way, a goal that to all our is important, save the planet, save the environment, since  nowadays we deal with issues of pollution of water, air and land.

I and my group of job will work for improve the conditions in the today we meet.

Some proposals are:

• ·        Develop activities of sensitization about environment care in the colleges and streets.

• ·     To create Green zones to be able to breathe a less contaminated air and of that our children could enjoy, this proposals includes control and tree planting.

• ·        To sanction to whom of discriminate form commit abuses of any nature that affect the environment.

• ·        Bicycles day and activities in ecological trails where people can interact with nature and they learn to care for the environment.

What make me different from the other candidates? 

My qualities that allow me to be a responsible man, an honest person, and above all committed to the needs of the city, beside I think that  a leader should be a person who is motive by his project, a person who is willing to help and find possible solutions. A good leader must have the ability to make change happen, which has a clear purpose, and I am this person.

·         My commitment to a clean campaign, concerned with the common good of the community, which lies equality and fight for the rights of all.

·         Love for my city and the sense of belonging that we all have as strong team we are. So that together we will fight for progress, by having a clean city, educated, equality, innovation and maintain and enhance the gains already achieved and awards.

·         Solidarity with people in need, tolerance and humility above all.

·         The company's excellent team committed to fight to get solutions that benefit us all.

Each of these and others are essential qualities that identify me and make me be different from others, they see my commitment and my main objective when to throw a candidate.

All this and more vote for me.

 

Team 07: Juan Camilo, ValentinaZuluaga, Andrés Mejía, Alberth