EXPERIENCES, DIALOGUES AND DISCOVERIES

AN EDUCATIONAL PROJECT WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR PETS

Abstract

This text is the result of a project carried out with a class of fifteen children enrolled in Early Childhood Education (aged 5 and 6), at a federal public school in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. The actions, developed with the children and their families, were built from the implementation of the Project Families and their Pets, with the aim of developing more conscious habits and attitudes in relation to people and nature, especially with regard to animals that are part of the students' daily lives, providing the class with moments of meaningful learning, in a practical and playful way and with the aim of promoting social transformation based on the environment in which we live. We used observation of daily school life, photographs, written records and filming of the proposals developed as a methodological strategy. We found that the class experienced unique moments, in which there were new discoveries and significant contact with different animals, nature and society. Through the activities carried out from the development of the project and based on the legislation that guides work in Early Childhood Education, it was possible to qualitatively involve the school community, especially the students' families. We believe that it was possible to carry out teaching and learning in a more contextualized way regarding the project's theme, as we experienced practical actions with the Early Childhood Education students. The learning process developed throughout the school year was considered a dialogical act, valuing the knowledge and experiences presented by the children.