(992) FROM SENSES TO SENSORS, FOSTERING CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

摘要

In this paper, the authors present a research that aims at using electronic sensors to improve sensoryexploration activities of 7 years old children, this way fostering to enhance children's awareness,exploration and understanding of the environment. The context of this research is the SOS A^(Sensors and Senses to develop A^ Thinking) project that studies how to support thedevelopment of children's A^ thinking, mediating the use of senses and sensors. A case studywas developed in a Portuguese elementary school with a class of seven years old children. A set ofexperimental activities were planned and mediated by the teacher/researcher that was alsoresponsible for the participant observation. Photos, audio recordings and the registers produced bychildren were also collected. Data were processed using content analysis, In this way, the developedresearch illustrates the roles that senses and sensors can play in developing fundamental knowledge,and competences with 7 years old children, such as: sensory awareness of the environment;observation, register and interpretation of environmental data; bridging the gulf between concrete andA^ environmental information. Through teacher mediation, electronic sensors scaffold theabstract observation of the unobservable, also informing and enhancing the use of senses by children.