Weaving Connections: Medicinal Plants in High School Education In Peri-Mirim, Maranhão – An Integrated Approach Between Traditional and Scientific Knowledge For Health and Environmental Education
Authors: Ferreira Tinara Vivian Barbosa , Câmara Natanyelle Pereira , Souza Rafaella Cristine de , Amaral Natarsia Camila Luso , Ferreira Welberth Santos , Ferreira Suelen Rocha Botão 
Published: January 2025

Objective: Introduce some medicinal plants into high school classes as a health education strategy, demonstrating how these actions contribute to the formation of critical awareness and the development of contextualized tools in favor of environmental education.

Theoretical Framework: Medicinal plants have been used by humans since the beginning of history, and long before the advent of writing, humanity was already using the benefits of plant species for medicinal purposes. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that people have different levels of education, age groups, socioeconomic profiles, and even multiple perceptions about their bodies and health, leading to different demands. The unanimous issue among this audience is the need to pay attention to the guidelines provided when using medicinal plants. Specifically in schools, it is believed that providing students with scientific data about the medicinal actions that these plants have, their restrictions, and forms of use is a starting point for the survival of popular knowledge and recognition of their purpose.

Method: This work is characterized as action research, since the relevance of Biology classes made it possible to carry out the work, whose theme was medicinal plants. The aim was to demonstrate how these actions can contribute to the construction of critical awareness and contextualized tools, in favor of environmental education.

Results and Discussion: The choice for High School was made because students in this age group are expected to have a level of knowledge about medicinal plants and to be aware of the importance of these therapeutic alternatives, which are so strongly based on popular knowledge and in the promotion of collective health. The specimens of eucalyptus, lemongrass and guava were selected due to their abundance and because they are native to the Perimiri region. Their taxonomic characteristics, medicinal properties, recognized and consolidated efficacy, contraindications and forms of use were then presented.

Research Implications: The three selected medicinal plants (lemongrass, guava and eucalyptus) were presented and displayed on the board to allow all students to see them. They were also placed on the table, allowing students to get closer and interact with the plant specimens. It was important to use exsiccates at this time, which, in addition to documenting the taxonomic specificities of the plants, served as a teaching proposal that was very close to the daily lives of these young people. The relevance of this teaching method revealed how the approach to the content in question responded satisfactorily to the teaching-learning process, making sense to the students and encouraging them to build their own knowledge about the need to understand the environment they are part of.

Originality/Value: When working on the topic of medicinal plants, teachers can contribute to the teaching of Science and Biology, so that each student's knowledge can be taken into account, enabling the construction of integrated knowledge between science and popular knowledge. However, it is essential to emphasize to students the need for scientific verification of the medicinal properties of plants so that their use is effective, taking into account the dangers, warnings and contraindications of use of many of them.