TEACHING GEODIVERSITY FROM DIDACTIC GAMES

Abstract

The education and the divulgation of the geosciences are poorly disseminated, not only in the educational range, but also for the society in general. Among the geosciences, there is the geodiversity, which had its concept introduced in the 90’s decade and has been growing worldwide ever since; however, unlike the biodiversity that is broadly disclosed for all society, the geodiversity is unknown for a large percentage of the population, even though such knowledge is very necessary for the understanding of the evolution and dynamic processes of the Earth. Bringing environmental education into the geodiversity divulgation might make the abiotic aspects, which are often forgotten, stand out. This work aims to introduce geodiversity themes in the schoolroom through a board game, illustrating the geodiversity elements (rocks, minerals, fossils, land forms, soils) and some places with geotouristic potencial and better visibility in the State of Paraíba, such as Vale dos Dinossauros (Dinosaur Valley), Lajedo de Pai Mateus, Pedra da Boca, Pedra do Ingá and the Cabo Branco cliffs, as well as verify if the methodology applied appears to be an efficient tool of learning. It is expected to contribute, for the teaching-learning process, in a fun and pleasant way, awakening the curiosity and interest to learn about geodiversity and geosciences. In order to obtain the data used in the search, a visit to the Municipal School Antonia Luna Lisboa, located in the county of Rio Tinto-PB, took place, in which the aforementioned exercises where put into practice. To validate the learning improvement achieved, an analysis through tests was held, where a pretest and an after test to assess the knowledge of the student were applied, to ascertain if the methodology contributed significantly as a tool of education of the geodiversity. The methodology was well-accepted by the students, and it was verified that the answers of the after test were satisfactory. Through the review of the results, it was found that new pedagogical alternatives are necessary for the motivation and learning of the students. Games can and must be used as a pedagogical resource, in a way that the students learn while playing; more interactive classes using slides with images also contribute for the teaching-learning of the students.