Semeando consciência: a Educação Ambiental no Cerrado de São Joaquim de Bicas - MG

The Cerrado, a biome of extreme ecological and social importance in Brazil, is under threat due to human action, which makes conservation and preservation essential. Environmental Education emerges as a tool to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The objective of this project is to provide positive and lasting behavioral change of students in relation to the conservation and sustainability of the environment through different approaches to Environmental Education, in addition to promoting teacher training so that they can integrate environmental education into their curricular components, promote the conservation of the Cerrado and the sustainable use of its natural resources through awareness, education and participation of local communities and train agents of change. To carry out the project, a paradidactic material was produced, the book "Trees of the Cerrado: Economic and Social Importance in Environmental Education". This instrument played a crucial role in raising awareness and engaging students, allowing for more meaningful and contextualized learning, contributing to sustainable ecological behavioral change in students. The project was implemented in six stages, namely: the first was the choice of the place of application of the project, the José Antônio Júnior Municipal School, located in the central region of the city of São Joaquim de Bicas, M.G.; the second was the presentation of the project to the students and the application of an initial questionnaire. Questionnaire composed of ten multiple-choice questions, addressing the Cerrado and environmental education; the third stage was the correction of the questionnaires, tabulation and assembly of a teaching strategy focused on the students' difficulties; the fourth were the intervention classes; in the fifth stage, the application of educational games, gamification, with a focus on the Cerrado and environmental education took place; The sixth stage was the reapplication of the initial questionnaire to quantify the result of the appropriation of acquired knowledge. In addition, a training of teachers from various areas was carried out. During the training, the teachers had access to all the publications that involved this project to familiarize themselves, in addition to developing paradidactic materials. This event was fundamental to integrate environmental content in an interdisciplinary way in the school, contributing to the awareness and preservation of the environment, highlighting the importance of these actions to strengthen the awareness and conservation of the Cerrado, emphasizing the relevance of paradidactic materials in this process, as they stimulate the interest of students and promote a greater understanding of the importance of preserving the environment in general. There was a general evolution with a significant number of correct answers in the second application of the questionnaire in relation to the first, as the overall average of correct answers in the first application was 53.02%, while in the second it was 86.56%. The results showed a change in the attitude of the students, who now better understand the importance of preserving the Cerrado and its biodiversity, in addition to recognizing the importance of both local and global environmental conservation. Participation in the project not only increased community engagement, but also inspired students to become multipliers and agents of change, promoting sustainable practices and disseminating the knowledge acquired.