Perceptions – When Science and Environment are nearly the same for those who attend Elementary School ...

Abstract

"Perceptions - Science and Scientists to the eyes of society," an exhibition of works produced by the activity Perceptions (Project "Senses of Science” from School of Sciences, University of Minho) held in Braga during February of 2008, brought together more than thirty public and private institutions (Museu Nogueira da Silva, library, bookstores, art galleries, schools of various levels of education, a shopping center, the City Hall) and involved hundreds of people of all ages (literally from 3 to almost 80 years), gender, academic backgrounds and diverse geographic regions beyond the Minho region. This partnership was responsible for the production of hundreds of works, whether in schools supporting the initiative, or in the workshops that accepted the challenge. Our main aim was to understand how the public in general: (i) perceives Science senso lato, (ii) looks at scientists or even (iii) understands concepts related to scientific-technological advances intensely released by the media and that, if not totally understood, may create great skepticism, prejudice or confusion in society. Among the project partners are the Colégio Teresiano and the Schools EB 2/3: of Lamaçães, Prof. Gonçalo Sampaio, of Arcozelo, João Afonso de Aveiro and of Manteigas, who enthusiastically embraced the initiative proposed by the ECUM team supplanting both expectations, ours and the schools itself. Students were asked to envision, design and concretize, individually or in group, a work capable of answering the question "What is Science for me?" being the management of human and material resources, a responsibility of the school itself. It was interesting to notice that among all hundreds of works resulting from this challenge the schools were faced with, a considerable number was connoted/ related with environmental issues like sustainability of life and resources, biodiversity preservation, renewable/ sustainable energies, the depletion of the ozone shell, pollution in cities, which indicates a high awareness / concern for these hot topics, among the school population aged 9 to 15 years old.