RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS NA ESCOLA: UM JOGO DE TABULEIRO PARA O ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL

Abstract

Improper solid waste management represents an urgent socio-environmental challenge, requiring strategies that mobilize various sectors, including education. Based on the question “How can a board game used in elementary school contribute to the teaching-learning process and to students’ awareness of solid waste?”, this study — structured in two chapters — aimed to design and evaluate an educational game on this topic, targeted at 9th-grade students. The research was conducted at a public state school in Paracatu, Minas Gerais, involving a class of 36 graduating elementary students. The first chapter analyzes students’ perceptions of solid waste, in light of Decree No. 10.936/2022 and the National Solid Waste Policy. Findings revealed a partial understanding of the impacts of improper disposal, limited knowledge about the economic and social potential of waste, and a tendency to assign responsibility mainly to public authorities. These results reinforce the need to strengthen environmental education by promoting changes in values, behaviors, and lifestyles, aiming to consolidate sustainable principles in waste management. The second chapter describes the development of the educational product — Reciclando Hábitos, a board game — and its evaluation by students and teachers of Geography and Science. The data indicated that the resource supported the understanding of proper waste management, encouraged conscious consumption practices, and fostered a sense of socio-environmental responsibility. Both students and teachers also highlighted the game’s dynamic and engaging nature, pointing to its viability as a teaching tool for environmental education focused on waste management. It is concluded, therefore, that the adoption of playful approaches, such as educational games in the school context, can enhance learning and spark interest in civic engagement, contributing to the formation of conscious citizens committed to environmental conservation and, consequently, to the fulfillment of the goals established by the National Solid Waste Policy.