RIO ABAIXO, RIO ARRIBA: AN EDUCATIONAL GAME FOR TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON THE PARNAÍBA RIVER

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Abstract
Environmental Education in schools is essential for fostering a critical understanding of socio-environmental interactions, particularly when combined with playful and regionalized teaching strategies. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the applicability of the board game “Rio Abaixo, Rio Arriba” for teaching environmental impacts associated with the Parnaíba River to 6th-grade elementary school students. The qualitative-applied research involved 30 students from a state public school in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. The pedagogical intervention included an expository lecture (50 min), pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, and two rounds of the board game, which features 57 spaces integrating geographic features, human activities, and reward/penalty mechanics. In the perception diagnosis, waste disposal, sewage discharge, and riparian deforestation emerged as the most critical issues (70% of indications each; n=21), whereas predatory fishing was underestimated by students (76.7% rated it as minor impact; n=23). Regarding the evaluation of the educational tool, 60% (18/30) of students reported that the game facilitated learning, and 70% (21/30) rated the methodology as excellent, reaching 96.7% positive or neutral approval. The findings demonstrate high acceptance of the activity and suggest that regionalized playful learning can enhance Science education and environmental awareness in basic education.