Ser(tão) resiliente da caatinga: uma sequência didática como ferramenta auxiliar de educação ambiental no ensino fundamental

Abstract

The term "Caatinga" originates from the Tupi-Guarani language and means "white forest" due to the loss of leaves from the vegetation during the dry season. Extremely biodiverse and full of endemism, the Caatinga holds immeasurable value. However, its importance is not adequately recognized, as detailed education about the Caatinga is often neglected. This research was conducted at a school located on the outskirts of the city of Fortaleza, near the metropolitan region, where students do not have direct access to cultural and scientific resources. At Seara da Ciência, a science outreach facility in Fortaleza, there is an exhibition that explores individuals' perspectives on the Caatinga. Therefore, there was an intent to provide similar experiences to the exhibition, democratizing access to knowledge about the Caatinga in order to stimulate a change in perspective through the use of a didactic sequence that addresses aspects such as the adaptation of living beings, historical-cultural context, and threats faced by the Caatinga. The overall objective of this work is, therefore, to understand how the elaborated didactic sequence titled "Being(ing) resilient in the Caatinga" assisted in the understanding of the Caatinga. After identifying the difficulties in understanding the Caatinga among 30 9th grade students in elementary school, a didactic sequence composed of 5 stages was developed and implemented. Finally, the effectiveness of the didactic sequence as an auxiliary tool for science education was assessed. Data collection was performed through semi-structured questionnaires administered before and after the interventions. Data analysis was carried out following Bardin's approach, using tables, percentages, and frequency of occurrences to highlight the research results.