Roteiros de visitação à coleção de mamíferos da Universidade Federal da Paraíba para o ensino médio

Abstract

In Brazil, one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, teaching about biodiversity is essential to educate citizens who are aware of the importance of conserving biodiversity. This understanding must transcend theory and be contextualized in real-life situations. Despite the relevance of this topic, science and biology teaching face significant challenges in Brazil, especially when they are limited to methodologies such as lectures. The search for teaching methods that can make the teaching-learning process more motivating and effective for students has been one of the greatest challenges faced by elementary and high school teachers. In this sense, informal spaces such as biological collections, museums, zoos, aquariums and conservation units represent an important pedagogical space and play a transformative role in environmental education. They provide a more in-depth learning about biodiversity and offer immersive experiences that complement traditional teaching. Since 2016, the Mammal Collection of the Federal University of Paraíba (CMUFPB) has been carrying out activities to popularize science, promoting themed visits that address topics related to the impacts of human actions on biodiversity. In view of this, this work aims to contribute to the teaching of biology by developing visiting itineraries for the CMUFPB, with an emphasis on terrestrial mammals. To develop the visiting itineraries, Biology content on taxonomic classification, evolution, ecology, zoonoses, biodiversity conservation, and environmental impacts was selected, in accordance with the State of Paraíba Curriculum Proposal for High School, so that the visit complements the topics studied in the classroom. The itinerary can serve different audiences, but its main target audience is high school students. Three itineraries were developed, one for each grade, to guide the mediator's activities during the visit. The itineraries are divided into three parts: Introduction to the collection, specific content for each class, and closing with an opening for questions. They guide the mediators regarding the content covered, provide examples with specimens from the collection and possible questions from the students. The 1st grade script covers ecology, environmental impacts and sustainability, and uses anteaters, armadillos and opossums to discuss food webs and urbanization. The 2nd grade script addresses the classification of mammals and zoonoses, focusing on species involved in the epidemiological cycles of rabies and leptospirosis. The 3rd grade script addresses genetics and evolution, with examples of phenotypic variations, sexual dimorphism and evolutionary adaptations in mammals. The structure of the scripts provides more active, visual and contextualized learning, contributing to a more meaningful educational experience that is integrated into the school curriculum.