Colombia is making new rules to help people in small towns and native groups make clean energy. Right now, only a little bit of their energy is clean. The rules let local leaders work with other groups to make energy from the wind, water, and plants. The president wants to use different kinds of energy and not just big water power plants that can hurt people and nature.

Many new clean energy projects have been talked about in Colombia since 2019. They want to make a lot of energy from the wind and the sun. But none of these projects are working yet. Some companies from other countries stopped their plans because people in the areas didn’t want them. The government is also looking for ways to make energy from the wind in the sea.

Colombia’s work on clean energy is important. It helps the Earth by making less pollution and helps people in small places have a part in making energy. These new rules help people make money and take care of the planet by using clean energy.

Original news source: Renewable energy drive for indigenous groups in Colombia (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. Then, have them share their summaries with a partner or in small groups.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups and give each group a set of questions related to the article. The questions should prompt students to express their opinions on the topic of clean energy in Colombia. After discussing their answers, have each group share their opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Select key vocabulary words from the article and write each word on a separate piece of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and select a word. They must then draw a picture to represent the word while their team tries to guess it. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will brainstorm the pros of using clean energy in Colombia, while the other group will brainstorm the cons. After a set amount of time, have each group share their ideas with the class. Encourage discussion and debate.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students imagine what the future of clean energy in Colombia might look like. In pairs or small groups, have them discuss and make predictions about the potential impact of clean energy on the country’s environment, economy, and society. Then, have each group present their predictions to the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is Colombia doing to help people in small towns and native groups make clean energy?
2. Why does the president want to use different kinds of energy?
3. Have any clean energy projects started working in Colombia yet?
4. Why did some companies from other countries stop their plans for clean energy projects in Colombia?
5. What is the government looking for ways to make energy from?
6. Why is Colombia’s work on clean energy important?
7. How do the new rules help people in Colombia make money and take care of the planet?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Colombia is (1)______ new rules to (2)______ people in small towns and native groups make clean energy. Right now, only a little bit of their energy is clean. The rules let local leaders (3)______ with other groups to make energy from the wind, water, and plants. The president wants to use different kinds of (4)______ and not just big water power plants that can hurt people and nature.

(5)______ new (6)______ energy projects have been talked about in Colombia since 2019. They want to make a lot of energy from the wind and the sun. But (7)______ of these projects are working yet. Some companies from other countries stopped their plans because people in the (8)______ didn’t want them. The government is also (9)______ for ways to make energy from the wind in the sea.

Colombia’s work on clean energy is important. It helps the Earth by making less pollution and helps people in small places have a (10)______ in making energy. These new rules help people (11)______ money and take (12)______ of the planet by using clean energy.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is clean energy?
2. How would you feel if your town started using clean energy?
3. Do you like the idea of making energy from wind, water, and plants? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important for countries to use different kinds of energy? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about companies stopping their clean energy plans because people didn’t want them?
6. How do you think making energy from wind and sun can help the Earth?
7. Why do you think it’s important for people in small places to have a part in making energy?
8. Do you think it’s a good idea for Colombia to make new rules for clean energy? Why or why not?
9. Have you ever heard of clean energy projects in your country? What do you think about them?
10. How do you think making energy from the wind in the sea could help Colombia?
11. Why do you think it’s important to make less pollution?
12. How do you think using clean energy can help take care of the planet?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Colombia
2. native
3. energy
4. local
5. president
6. projects
7. companies
8. government
9. pollution
10. planet
11. rules
12. clean

Meanings:
(A) The leader of a country
(B) Businesses that sell things or services
(C) People or things that are from a specific place
(D) Not dirty or harmful to the environment
(E) The first people who lived in a place
(F) Plans or ideas for making or doing something
(G) The power that is used to make heat, light, and electricity
(H) Instructions that tell you what you can or cannot do
(I) The group of people who make decisions for a country
(J) Another word for Earth, the world we live on
(K) A country in South America
(L) Dirty stuff in the air, water, or land that can be harmful
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are the new rules in Colombia for?
(a) To make big water power plants
(b) To stop clean energy projects
(c) To make energy from the sun only
(d) To help people in small towns and native groups make clean energy

2. What are some sources of clean energy mentioned in the article?
(a) Wind, water, and plants
(b) Fire, oil, and gas
(c) Coal, nuclear, and solar
(d) Cars, airplanes, and trains

3. Why did some companies from other countries stop their clean energy plans in Colombia?
(a) Because the government didn’t allow them
(b) Because people in the areas didn’t want them
(c) Because they didn’t have enough money
(d) Because they wanted to make more pollution

4. What is the government looking for ways to make energy from?
(a) The wind in the mountains
(b) The wind in the cities
(c) The wind in the sea
(d) The wind in the forests

5. How does Colombia’s work on clean energy help the Earth?
(a) By making more pollution
(b) By using more coal
(c) By making less pollution
(d) By using more oil

6. Who does Colombia’s new rules for clean energy help?
(a) People in small places
(b) People in big cities
(c) People in other countries
(d) People who don’t care about the planet

7. What are the benefits of using clean energy?
(a) Making money and polluting the planet
(b) Making money and taking care of the planet
(c) Losing money and taking care of the planet
(d) Losing money and polluting the planet

8. What is the main goal of Colombia’s clean energy projects?
(a) To make more pollution
(b) To stop clean energy projects
(c) To make energy from the sun only
(d) To use different kinds of energy and not just big water power plants

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The new rules allow local leaders to collaborate with other groups to generate energy from wind, water, and plants.
2. Colombia is not creating new rules to support clean energy in small towns and native groups.
3. The president of Colombia wants to diversify the country’s energy sources and move away from large water power plants.
4. However, none of these projects have been implemented yet.
5. Currently, a substantial amount of Colombia’s energy is clean.
6. The Colombian government is not exploring the possibility of harnessing wind energy from the sea.
7. Colombia has been discussing various clean energy projects since 2019, with a focus on wind and solar power.
8. All foreign companies have successfully executed their plans for clean energy projects in Colombia without facing opposition from local communities.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What are the new rules in Colombia for?
2. Why does the president want to use different kinds of energy?
3. What are some examples of clean energy sources mentioned in the article?
4. Why haven’t the clean energy projects in Colombia started yet?
5. How does Colombia’s work on clean energy help the Earth and people in small places?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is Colombia doing to help people in small towns and native groups make clean energy?
Colombia is making new rules that allow local leaders to work with other groups to make energy from wind, water, and plants.

2. Why does the president want to use different kinds of energy?
The president wants to use different kinds of energy because big water power plants can hurt people and nature.

3. Have any clean energy projects started working in Colombia yet?
No, none of the clean energy projects have started working yet.

4. Why did some companies from other countries stop their plans for clean energy projects in Colombia?
Some companies from other countries stopped their plans because people in the areas didn’t want them.

5. What is the government looking for ways to make energy from?
The government is looking for ways to make energy from the wind in the sea.

6. Why is Colombia’s work on clean energy important?
Colombia’s work on clean energy is important because it helps the Earth by making less pollution and helps people in small places have a part in making energy.

7. How do the new rules help people in Colombia make money and take care of the planet?
The new rules help people in Colombia make money and take care of the planet by allowing them to make clean energy and sell it, which helps them earn money, and at the same time, it reduces pollution and takes care of the environment.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) making
(2) help
(3) work
(4) energy
(5) Many
(6) clean
(7) none
(8) areas
(9) looking
(10) part
(11) make
(12) care
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Colombia
Answer: (K) A country in South America

2. native
Answer: (E) The first people who lived in a place

3. energy
Answer: (G) The power that is used to make heat, light, and electricity

4. local
Answer: (C) People or things that are from a specific place

5. president
Answer: (A) The leader of a country

6. projects
Answer: (F) Plans or ideas for making or doing something

7. companies
Answer: (B) Businesses that sell things or services

8. government
Answer: (I) The group of people who make decisions for a country

9. pollution
Answer: (L) Dirty stuff in the air, water, or land that can be harmful

10. planet
Answer: (J) Another word for Earth, the world we live on

11. rules
Answer: (H) Instructions that tell you what you can or cannot do

12. clean
Answer: (D) Not dirty or harmful to the environment
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are the new rules in Colombia for?
Answer: (d) To help people in small towns and native groups make clean energy

2. What are some sources of clean energy mentioned in the article?
Answer: (a) Wind, water, and plants

3. Why did some companies from other countries stop their clean energy plans in Colombia?
Answer: (b) Because people in the areas didn’t want them

4. What is the government looking for ways to make energy from?
Answer: (c) The wind in the sea

5. How does Colombia’s work on clean energy help the Earth?
Answer: (c) By making less pollution

6. Who does Colombia’s new rules for clean energy help?
Answer: (a) People in small places

7. What are the benefits of using clean energy?
Answer: (b) Making money and taking care of the planet

8. What is the main goal of Colombia’s clean energy projects?
Answer: (d) To use different kinds of energy and not just big water power plants
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The new rules allow local leaders to collaborate with other groups to generate energy from wind, water, and plants. (Answer: True)
2. Colombia is not creating new rules to support clean energy in small towns and native groups. (Answer: False)
3. The president of Colombia wants to diversify the country’s energy sources and move away from large water power plants. (Answer: True)
4. However, none of these projects have been implemented yet. (Answer: True)
5. Currently, a substantial amount of Colombia’s energy is clean. (Answer: False)
6. The Colombian government is not exploring the possibility of harnessing wind energy from the sea. (Answer: False)
7. Colombia has been discussing various clean energy projects since 2019, with a focus on wind and solar power. (Answer: True)
8. All foreign companies have successfully executed their plans for clean energy projects in Colombia without facing opposition from local communities. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧