Saberes astronômicos entre pescadores e pescadoras artesanais de Macau e sua inserção no ensino de ciências

Abstract

This study emphasizes the feasibility and importance of integrating traditional knowledge into formal education. Through the creation of a Teaching Unit and a Board Game aimed at eighthgrade Science classes in Elementary School, the work proposes the insertion of traditional knowledge of fishermen and fisherwomen from Macau-RN into the local school curriculum, specifically exploring knowledge about the sky and its use in fishing. The development of the Teaching Unit and the game was preceded by a qualitative research on the use of the sky in fishing practices in Macau, with observations and interviews with fishers in colony Z-9, from July 2023 to February 2024. Among the main results of the research, the influence of the Moon and, associated with it, the tides, on fish and fishing methods stood out. Other points were the closed season for some species and the use of constellations, particularly the Southern Cross, for orientation on the high seas. The knowledge and experiences gained in the research, especially the relationship between the Moon, tides and fishing, were incorporated into the development of the Unit Plan and the game “Sky and Sea in Macau-RN”. The Teaching Unit “Learning about the phases of the Moon and tides with fishermen and fisherwomen from Macau - RN” addresses abilities from the Thematic Unit “Earth and Universe” of the BNCC, through 9 classes, including activities such as: survey of students’ previous knowledge and experiences; visit to the Fishing Port with direct contact with fishermen, and interview with a fisherman; observations of the Moon; the use of the Game “Sky and Sea in Macau” to consolidate and integrate knowledge; and the creation of a Thematic Room for community dissemination. The educational product, Teaching Unit and Game, was validated by an examining board during the master’s degree qualification exam. The same was implemented in May 2024 by the author of the research, in a state school in Macau-RN. Small changes were incorporated into the final format of the educational product that accompanies, as an appendix, the dissertation. In the evaluation of the proposal, the following instruments were used: records in a field notebook, about questions and manifestations of the students related to the appreciation and appropriation of traditional and scientific knowledge; and activities developed by the students throughout the Unit. The results demonstrated that the Unit achieved its main objective: to integrate scientific and traditional knowledge, allowing students to understand the influence of the skies on fishing and the daily life of the community and to value local traditional knowledge. The students' ability to identify the phases of the Moon and their influence on the tides, explain the phases, and relate the knowledge acquired to real situations, was particularly evident in the activities developed and presented by them for the Thematic Classroom. In particular, the visit of a local fisherwoman to that activity, in response to an invitation, and the way she was received, illustrates additional forms of integration between school and the fishing community, which can contribute to enriching teaching and learning. It is expected that future dialogues and developments of the proposal will contribute significantly - and not just locally, which would already be quite relevant - to the enrichment of science teaching and the valorization of traditional knowledge in formal education.