THE ÁGUA BRANCA STREAM AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR SCIENTIFIC LITERACY

Abstract

This article presents the Água Branca stream, in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, as a non-formal educational space with potential for scientific literacy. Through the work of the Non-Governmental Organization Mata Viva, educational experiences are promoted, such as ecological trails, a stingless bee sanctuary (meliponary), observation of springs, ancestral narratives about fauna and flora, artistic activities, and seedling planting. These experiences revealed that science, when experienced in non-formal spaces, acquires other ways of existing. The research is qualitative and phenomenological, inspired by Maurice Merleau-Ponty (2006), and was conducted between May and July 2025 through participant observation with students from the early years of Elementary Education in municipal schools. The theoretical framework is grounded in authors who discuss scientific literacy, non-formal spaces, science, and life, such as Tim Ingold (2015), Isabelle Stengers (2015), Attico Chassot (2006), Pedro Demo (2010), and Rocha and Terán (2010). The results indicate that Science teaching in non-formal spaces fosters meaningful learning by articulating scientific and traditional knowledge with embodied experiences. It is concluded that the Água Branca stream, beyond being a natural resource threatened by degradation, constitutes an educational territory capable of promoting scientific literacy, encouraging environmental care, and strengthening the relationship between school, community, and nature.