Y9 Students visit Brasília and Chapada dos Veadeiros

By Gabriel Oliveira

Based on the provocations launched in the classroom, the 9th-grade students (Y9) visited Brasília and Chapada dos Veadeiros to deepen their understanding of the Global Context of Social Justice and Development.

The project involved four subjects in total. In Lab Skills, the students developed the epistemology of the scientific method, different ways of collecting and working with data and research. In the Portuguese classes, the students read “Capitães da Areia”, by Jorge Amado, and “O Quarto de Despejos”, by Maria Carolina de Jesus, both literary works that enhance a critical perspective on social inequality. In History and Geography classes, the students focused on the Republic of Brazil and urbanization, building a theoretical repertoire that served as a foundation for the Field Trip.

The interdisciplinary project required students, with the support of a study guide, to choose and critically analyze a geographically limited subject in Brasília. Divided into groups, they considered topics related to social issues such as social inequality, gender inequality, and others that focused on the urban space itself. By visiting Vale da Lua, Museu Vivo da Memória Candanga, Câmara dos Deputados, and Ceilândia, the students experienced different environments that allowed them to develop a theme of greater interest. Despite the guidance provided by the teaching materials, independence in selecting the subject and its approach was an important value in the process. Guided by the MYP (Middle Years Programme-IB) curriculum, inquiry statements served as prompts for field research.

The Field Trip was an opportunity not only from an educational perspective but also for exercising citizenship. During the two congressional hearings, the students witnessed the historic moment of Sônia Guajajara’s speech, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, and contributed with reflections on the impacts of artificial intelligence on intellectual property. Sustainability and preservation were the themes addressed in Chapada dos Veadeiros, where students participated in activities with NGOs to conclude the trip.