Contribuições do uso de super-heróis para o ensino dos artrópodes no componente curricular de ciências

Abstract

The theaching of Zoology in Basic Education often occurs with a descriptive and not very attractive approach for children and adolescents. The objective of this research is to analyze how the use of super heroes in teaching of animals which belong to the group of arthropods can be effective with students of the 7th grade of elementary school. Through a work project, a series of activities have been proposed to the research subjects so they could identify their preconceptions about these animals while they were studying new concepts regarding this zoological group. Each student created a super hero based on an arthropod, as well as a worksheet which described their origins and skills. The development of a story where this hero participates solving any problematic situation was the last assignment performed. Eight characters were selected, and their stories were submitted to Textual Analysis Discourse (MORAES AND GALIAZZI, 2007). After the establishment of meaning units, four categories emerged: Context, Problematic Situation, Characters and Reflections / Constructed knowledge. The fourth category is an identification of what was most outstanding in the students`s writing and can be an indicator of a (re) construction of knowledge. We can identify some aspects of the ecology of some arthropods in the texts, such as their appearance and anatomy in the drawings, eating habits characteristics and relations that these animals may have with other species. The analyzed stories confirm that important biological issues, such as waste management and the issue of genetically modified beings, were worked by students. This study, in a different way, reveals to be also relevant to the development of students' creativity.