Educando para a justiça ambiental: uma proposta investigativa no ensino de Biologia

Abstract

Environmental Justice is based on the principle that in an unequal society, even the consequences of environmental degradation occur disproportionately: the populations with the greatest socioeconomic and ethnic-racial vulnerability are those who suffer the most. Considering school as a space for the formation of citizenship, students are expected to develop critical awareness and active participation in the environment in which they live. Biology teaching, when associated with an investigative approach, contributes crucially to the promotion of scientific literacy. Scientifically literate students use scientific knowledge to address social, political and environmental issues. Socio-environmental problem that is becoming increasingly serious is the generation and disposal of solid waste: the inadequate accumulation of waste favors pollution, aggravates health problems, and reflects the lack of infrastructure and effective public policies. This paper aimed to present the teaching of science through inquiry as a didactic approach in the debate on Environmental Justice from the perspective of urban solid waste in Biology classes. The study, of a qualitative and exploratory nature, adopted bibliographic research as its technical procedure. Articles that correlated Environmental Justice with the teaching of Science/Biology and PROFBIO master's dissertations that presented teaching sequences on solid waste as an educational product were considered. The data were analyzed using Bardin's content analysis. The results point to a lack of intersection between Environmental Justice and Biology teaching, especially when the latter is developed from the perspective of an investigative approach. As an educational product, an investigative teaching sequence was developed that aims to discuss local socio-environmental disparities.