Perception of air quality by public elementary school students: the “EDUCA-AR” extension project

o projeto de extensão “EDUCA-AR”

Abstract

Air pollution generates negative impacts of an environmental nature, mainly in the alteration of climatic conditions in the urban environment, directly affecting the quality of life and health of the population, mainly in children, whose physiological and psychological mechanisms are still in development. Based on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, which advocates the importance of improving education and raising everyone's awareness of mitigation and early warning measures with regard to climate change, this paper proposes to assess the perception of air quality from a child's point of view, as well as collaborating with the dissemination of knowledge on this subject. The methodology used was a) creation of a board game aimed at primary school students, b) air quality workshop and application of the created didactic instrument, c) use of standardized questionnaires and drawings. The results show that the board game facilitated and deepened knowledge among participants. There was an intense motivation and enthusiasm of the children to participate in the suggested activities, assimilation of the contents, greater reflection on emerging environmental issues and development of a sense of preservation of nature and care for the health of cities.

Keywords: Air quality, teaching practices, children's perception.