At our school, water – a fundamental resource for life and a key element of the sustainability debate — has been the focus of the Year 5 children’s investigations and reflections. As part of the Science curriculum, under the Matter and Energy topic, water is a focal point for learning that combines an analysis of natural resources with a sustainability perspective.
This interdisciplinary approach, which involves Portuguese Language and the History curriculum as well as Science, is bringing to the fore a look at memories and heritage, and exploring the relationship we have with our city and communities.
The class teacher, Letícia Araújo, explains that the study began with the history of the birth of the city of São Paulo and its invisible rivers, generating a reflection on how urbanization has impacted waterways by burying them and transforming the connection we have with them. “As the city was built, turning its back on the rivers, the relationships we have with the rivers today were also built. This reflection delves into memory and heritage, highlighting the importance of keeping the cultural relationship with water alive.”
The teacher says that throughout the year, Year 5 also focuses on the literary genre of memoir, and that at the moment the children are coming into contact with texts by photographer Araquem Alcântara, in which he interviews children from different regions of Brazil who have close relationships with water. “These stories enrich the understanding of the various interactions people have with rivers and encourage children to reflect on their own connections with this vital resource,” said the teacher.
In addition, the children had the opportunity to delve deeper into climate and sustainability issues using a form provided by Reconectta, in which they were asked to evaluate how sustainable concepts and actions are being implemented at school. “Despite recognizing many actions that are in fact practiced at the school, the children took a critical view of some practices, such as the disuse of the cistern that already exists at the school and which was used for a while to capture rainwater to play in the playground. The children also reported that when they used water from the cistern, they used it more consciously than they do now. And another reflection they shared was the realization that often, even though it’s important, we lose our memory and that we need to recover forgotten habits”.
To further their understanding of the quality and uses of water, the children carried out filtration and decantation experiments with samples of water from the cistern and water with soil. This process helped them to understand the potability and various uses of water, from drinking to watering plants and cleaning. It caused students to think about public policies for rainwater harvesting and its proper treatment for different purposes.
Through these experiences, Year 5 children not only learn about the importance of water for the environment, but also develop a critical and responsible sense of caring for water resources. They are committed to revitalizing the use of the school’s cistern, organizing themselves to ensure that there is water available to play in the playground, especially considering the upcoming periods of drought.
It’s been great to follow this investigative and reflective process in Year 5, witnessing the children’s dedication to their discoveries and actions for a more sustainable and conscious future.
