Watershed evaluation by elementary school students: Contribution to water resources teaching [Avaliação de bacia hidrográfica por alunos do Ensino Fundamental: Contribuição ao ensino dos recursos hídricos1]

Abstract

This work developed and tested a rapid assessment protocol (RAP) in a watershed of the Paraíba do Sul River Basin, to be applied by elementary school students. The study was conducted in a public school of São José dos Campos (SP), with 60 students of the 6th grade (n = 30) and 7th grade (n = 30). The protocol developed includes 12 parameters with text consistent with student levels and with illustrations of the variables of each parameter. The parameters are the type of usage of the stream margins, erosion and siltation, presence of sewage, presence of aquatic plants, water odor, water oiliness, water transparency, type of bottom, rapids and water flow, garbage presence, the presence of animals, and the presence of riparian vegetation. The results showed that 65% of the students understood all parameters and showed great interest in the proposed protocol; the others needed to better understand the parameters of erosion and siltation, presence of aquatic plants, rapids, water flow and presence of riparian vegetation. It was found that the developed RAP was appropriate and can contribute as an educational tool for the study of water quality. © 2016, Institute for Environmental Research in Hydrographic Basins (IPABHi). All rights reserved.