03.10.2022

Paraty is the chosen destination for the 6th-grade Field Trip

By Brayan Felippe

The 6th-grade students (Y6) took a trip to Paraty to deepen their studies about Colonial Brazil; the ecosystems and their characteristics, and heritage and cultural diversity. The destination in Rio de Janeiro was chosen for the richness of its biome and for allowing the students to experience in practice the knowledge acquired in the classroom.

Through a visit to the mangrove, the classes were able to observe the characteristics of this ecosystem, understanding the transition between the terrestrial and marine biomes. They hiked a trail to reach the Saco do Mamanguá, observing in detail the organisms present, such as plankton and phytoplankton.

The trip’s itinerary also included a visit to traditional communities in the area, such as Pataxó indigenous villages and quilombolas. The students showed great curiosity for the people present in the visited spaces and were able to follow a little of their routine, drawing a parallel between their origin and tradition and the way they live nowadays. In addition, they learned about the importance and the meaning of the typical songs of these cultures, which were discussed in class and reinforced during the field research. 

The educators presented the students with a text that portrays how Paraty is shown to foreigners, and, after reading it, they shared reflections about the viewpoints of Brazil abroad and comparisons with the reality lived there.

The students were able to closely observe the routine of the historical communities, performing activities that are recurrent to the residents in terms of food and survival. A good example of this was fishing. They learned from the locals the difference between predatory fishing and artisanal fishing, listened to the residents’ stories, and contributed to each student’s perspective on life. 

This Field Trip was enriching for the students’ learning, who were able to share and live experiences with their classmates, educators, and local residents.