“Separa que o Planeta Repara”: a didactic proposal on waste separation

Abstract

The degradation of the planet has been intensified by human action, and it is crucial to change the thoughts and practices of all citizens. In this sense, the school has a great weight for raising children’s awareness of the importance of adopting sustainable practices so that, in the future, the planet is a balanced place from a social, economic and environmental point of view.

This article presents the process of developing a didactic sequence on the separation of solid waste in a school context. The aim of the project was to contribute to the development of students’ competences in an Eco-School in primary school context. Data were collected through a survey (applied at the beginning and end of the sequence), observation grids (with records during the implementation of the sequence) and the teacher-researcher’s diary.

The results show that the didactic sequence had a positive impact on the development of students’ competences, particularly in the awareness and adoption of sustainable practices related to waste separation in school settings.

As a final reflection, we can advance that this topic should be addressed in all areas and levels of education, sustaining the results of the research presented here, to contribute to the training of active students regarding sustainable practices related to solid waste separation.