in which researchers and representative participants of the situation or problem are involved in a cooperative or participatory action (THIOLLENT, 1997).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOL Maria Eloisa Farias1, Tania Renata Prochnow1 and Ana Paula Chies1 1 Universidade Luterana do Brasil - ULBRA Abstract: Projects in Environmental Education (EE), developed in schools, aimed at forming an environmental conscience, trying to modify the human relationship with nature and achieve a balance to promote Sustainable Development (SD). The pedagogical activities of EA, for its interdisciplinary character, enclose environmental and exact sciences, social and cultural subjects, political, ethical, historical and others. The principles of EA declared in Tbilisi Conference (UNESCO & UNEP, 1978) have included the key elements for the DS: the need to consider the social aspects of the environment and relations between economy, environment and development, the adoption of local and global perspectives and the promotion of international solidarity and others. Because knowledge is a human construction and depends on the interaction between individuals, working in the school's approach to historical topics of the environmental sciences, can motivate students to ask questions and be more critical relationship to the presented information. Only with the active participation of various society sectors, committed to planning a desire for positive change, that one becomes possible to revert the current model and to seek social justice and environmental balance (DIAS, 2004). This project ,based in action research methodology, aims to develop the teaching strategies in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, with the target population attended by public schools in the outskirts of Canoas-RS/BR. Keywords: Environmental Impacts. Education for Sustainable Development. Environmental Education. Pedagogical Strategies.
INTRODUCTION For Mendes (2006) and Leff (2006, 2002) Sustainable Development occurs when there is effective balance between technology and environment, revealing to the various social groups of a nation and also the different countries in search of equity and social justice. Towards effective Sustainable Development although, second Leff (2006), would require building styles of development based on a new "productive rationality", so that the dominant economic policy incomes in the creation of poverty reduction politics and programs to strengthen productive self-management, with regard to the relationship of dependence that keeps with the state. There is almost unanimous consensus that the guidelines point toward the formation and empowerment of communities, whether for self-management, is for reorganize the productive arrangement. For Sauvé (1997), Environmental Education is closely linked to Sustainable Development, and production subsidies for the organization and development of new methodologies to be applied in the training of professionals in environmental education, emerged in the theoretical and practical truly interdisciplinary experiences. Is both feasible and practicable, that environmental education included in the Tbilisi Conference (UNESCO & UNEP, 1978) already included the key elements for Sustainable Development: the need to consider the social aspects of the environment and their relationships between the economy, environment and development, the adoption of local and global perspectives and the promotion of international solidarity, the humanistic approach, etc.
In Brazil there are laws like the 9795/99 and 4281/99 decree establishing guidelines and criteria that will encourage and enforce the environmental education efforts. This Act 9795/99 trats of the National Environmental Education and Decree 4281/02 that regulates the National System of Environment (SISNAMA). There are also documents as the Treaty on Environmental Education for Sustainable Societies and Global Responsibility prepared during the ECO-92, signed by several countries, aiming to guide the environmental education practices around the world, and also international documents such as those generated in Stockholm (1972), Tbilisi (1977), and the Global Agenda 21 (1997), somehow both recommend that the EE should have an interdisciplinary and humanistic approach and be developed at all levels within and outside schools. In studies of Grün (2000), there is a very pertinent question to debate. The appreciation of the concept and the tradition within educational theory can contribute to the integration of environmental education in culture and language, making it something organic and common to a given bioregional medium. However it is observed that in school, Environmental Education becomes possible and timely, appearing as a phenomenon that occurs due to biotic or abiotic interference or large commotion in front of an imminent catastrophe. This coincidence, coupled with the lack of integrated planning and scheduled projects that contribute to environmental education is seen as superficial and fleeting. It is therefore necessary to identify human actions and their environmental effects in the region and at school, researching historical interferences, economic and social changes that allow to define and analyze the environmental impacts generated by urban sprawl, then propose to develop and invest in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and healt. By analyzing these factors we chose to use different teaching strategies, seeking an interdisciplinary context as practical classes and field trips, investigating the possibility of incorporating the students' practice and reflection on actions related to the surrounding environment, emphasizing the importance to their life quality by developing themes of the EE for the exercise of citizenship with environmental responsibility.
OBJETIVES This project, based in the methodology of action research, aims to develop the teaching strategies in EE for Sustainable Development, with the target population attended by public schools in Canoas-RS/BR, through the following objectives: - use different teaching strategies, seeking an interdisciplinary context as practical classes and field works; - investigate the possibility of incorporating the students practice and reflection on actions related to the surrounding environment; - emphasize the importance to their life quality by developing themes of the EE for the exercise of citizenship with environmental responsibility
METHODOLOGY This work is grounded in action research, a kind of empirically based social research, designed and carried out in a closed association with an action or collective problem solving, in which researchers and representative participants of the situation or problem are involved in a cooperative or participatory action (THIOLLENT, 1997).
The steps hab been: detection of the problem, interaction, theme generation, monitoring decisions and actions, problem solving and the level of consciousness. Data collection was performed using the search to the theoretical framework, environmental zoning, collecting historical data and regional environmental impact studies, field works and photographic records. We also developed experimental activities with the target population, initiated with the implementation of a Data Collection Instrument (DCI) involving students in the School Hall Carlos Drummond de Andrade, in classes 5 and 6 years of elementary school. The DCI used was a questionnaire for population characterization and socio-environmental knowledge, including the health subject. After, we used lectures and videos on the socio-environmental issue facing the regional reality, in order to rescue the historic formation of the district and establishment of the local community, encouraging reflection on the current problems. The next action was to encourage students to search information on the socio-environmental problems, usually found in their homes or in the coverage areas, stimulating the construction of personal experiences in this regard.
RESULTS The results led to the realization of a Science Fair where participants socialized their experiences on the covered topics (Figures 1 and 2). To evaluate the results of this action research, we applied a new DCI, to evaluate the methodology applied. We identified a severe deficiency in the students' knowledge construction about the environmental impacts caused in his neighborhood.
Figure 1. Students Presenting results to the GARBAGE problem After the accomplishment of the sensitization speak and videos exposition, was observed an increment in interest on the thematic, that culminated in the exposition of works made by students in the sciences fair.
Figure 2. Objects confectioned with recycled residues For this fair, other pupils groups and residents of the district also had been invited as visiting, aiming to increase the scope of the impact of the methodology applied in the school.
CONCLUSIONS The study enabled the observation of a sharp increase in the perception of environmental issues by the school community involved. We can affirm that developed a pedagogical action beyond the classroom, in a dynamic and opened study to social and cultural diversity, which attracted, involved and is appreciated by students, that working with commitment and social responsibility. REFERENCES BRASIL – Lei 9.795 de 27 de abril de 1999. Dispõe sobre a educação ambiental, institui a Política Nacional de Educação Ambiental e dá outras providências GRÜN, M. (2000) Ética e educação ambiental: a conexão necessária. 2. ed. Campinas, SP: Papirus. LEFF, E. (2002) Epistemologia ambiental, tradução de Sandra Valenzuela, São Paulo: Cortez. LEFF, E. (2006) Racionalidade ambiental: a reapropriação social da natureza, tradução: Luis Carlos Cabral. Rio de Janeiro. Civilização Brasileira. SAUVÉ, L. (1997) Educação ambiental e desenvolvimento sustentável: uma análise complexa. Revista de Educação Pública, São Paulo, vol. 10, p. 15-21 jul/dez, SATO, M.; SANTOS, J. E. (2003) Tendências nas pesquisas em educação ambiental. In NOAL, F.; BARCELOS, V. (Orgs.) Educação ambiental e cidadania: cenários brasileiros. Santa Cruz do Sul: EDUNISC, p. 253-283 UNITED NATIONS Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - United Nations (1978) Environment Programme (UNESCO - UNEP). Final Report,
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