Metodologias ativas e atividades experimentais no ensino de Ciências: a aprendizagem por investigação no ensino fundamental

Abstract

This Final Paper investigated how active methodologies and experimental activities can contribute to Science teaching in the early years of Elementary Education, focusing on inquiry-based learning. The study aims to demonstrate how investigative practices, through the use of a suspended garden, can integrate scientific knowledge and promote sustainable actions in Science Education. The study is supported by authors such as Chassot (2003, 2018), who emphasizes scientific literacy as a critical reading of the world, and Sasseron (2014, 2018), who organizes it into three axes: concepts, procedures, and the relationships between science, technology, society, and the environment. It also draws on Berbel (2011) and Nascimento & Coutinho (2016), who highlight active methodologies as practices that foster student autonomy and protagonism. The pedagogical intervention was carried out with 5th grade students through the construction of a hanging garden in three sequential lessons, involving moments of awareness, collective discussion, and experimental practice. The results showed that the activity enhanced scientific literacy, stimulated curiosity, critical thinking, and student engagement, although the suspension of classes limited the monitoring of plant growth. It is concluded that active methodologies, articulated with investigative practices, make Science teaching more dynamic, interdisciplinary, and connected to students’ reality, thus promoting critical and sustainable education.