Environmental education, the Paquequer River and the Beira Linha community

It is the school’s responsibility to develop children’s attitudes towards caring for the environment in which they live, giving them the opportunity to acquire knowledge, values and attitudes that will help improve their quality of life. This work discusses educational practices and the knowledge that students have about caring for the environment, especially the Paquequer River in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro. The project was carried out between 2007 and 2008 at the Chiquinha Rolla Municipal School and the target audience was students in the 5th year of primary school, aged between 9 and 11. The results showed a lack of awareness on the part of local residents, students and family members about caring for the environment and their own health, coupled with the lack of preparation on the part of teachers in training environmental educators.