Microplastics in the human body: an investigative path in high school to raise environmental awareness

Abstract

This experience report describes an investigative didactic sequence carried out with a 10th grade class in a public high school in Espírito Santo, Brazil, focusing on the issue of microplastics in the human body. The proposal was guided by the question “How do microplastics enter our bodies?”, integrating ecology, public health, and environmental education. The methodology comprised three main stages: (i) brainstorming, to raise initial hypotheses; (ii) flipped classroom, in which students conducted research using different information sources and presented their findings in class; and (iii) production of infographics, aimed at systematizing and creatively expressing the knowledge constructed. Qualitative data analysis, based on the Meaning Cores technique, revealed three interpretative axes: perplexity in the face of the invisible, when students expressed surprise at the possibility of internal contamination by microplastics; the body as a space of contamination, as they connected the topic to their daily lives and health; and critical responsibility, with signs of reflective and proactive stances toward the environmental issue. The results show that inquiry-based teaching fostered greater engagement, student protagonism, and critical appropriation of scientific concepts, although gaps were observed in mobilizing previously studied notions such as bioaccumulation. The experience contributed to scientific literacy by establishing meaningful connections between science, environment, and society, reinforcing the importance of active methodologies in Biology teaching for the formation of critical and responsible individuals.