Citizen Science and Environmental Education: an experience on leishmaniasis with elementary school students

Abstract

This work explores the use of citizen science as a pedagogical tool in the teaching of Natural Sciences and Environmental Education, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinarity. The project was developed with 45 seventh-grade students from a public school, who actively participated in mapping activities and analyzing visceral leishmaniasis hotspots in their communities. Using the Google My Maps platform for participatory cartography and through visits to an ecology laboratory, the students integrated knowledge of biology, geography, public health, and citizenship, fostering a broader understanding of environmental and social challenges. The adopted interdisciplinary methodology allowed for the creation of a dynamic and meaningful teaching-learning process, with an emphasis on youth protagonism and collective knowledge building. Through dialogue with their communities and critical analysis of the collected data, students developed a more conscious and integrated view of the relationship between the environment and public health. The results demonstrated that citizen science, combined with interdisciplinarity, can engage students in a practical and contextualized way, promoting active citizenship and a critical understanding of territorial and environmental problems. The project underscores the need for educational practices that transcend traditional disciplines, integrating different fields of knowledge to form citizens committed to social transformation and sustainability.