08.12.2022

Y9 students visit the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimarães

By Gabriel Oliveira

Guided by the environmental issue and by the different uses of natural resources, the 9th-grade class (Y9), which had their last Field Trip three years ago, traveled to the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimarães, where the knowledge they learned in class was deepened by their five-day experience in the region. 

In Geography, they worked on the globalization process and the role of nature in the economy, while in Science the hotspots and places of environmental preservation were the predominant subjects. Through interdisciplinarity, the students moved towards a discussion on how to leverage natural resources responsibly.

Anticipating the trip, Beacon’s first UN Simulation had as its theme the debate about sustainable development facing the needs and responsibilities of each country. In contrast to the issues raised in the discussion, they noticed the absence of this concern in the extensive areas of monoculture that overlapped the local forest of Chapada dos Guimarães. The difference between sustainable development and development without preservation became even more evident on the trip. 

Besides cattle-raising, tourism is another strong economic activity in the region.  Through it, the students came face to face with the other side of the use of nature. With the values of environmental protection and respect for native populations, they were challenged to think about ethical and sustainable ways to enhance the human appropriation of nature. The tour guides are also trained in the preservation of nature and traditional communities, teaching the students the importance of maintaining the flora and fauna.