Ensaio de despoluição de corpo hídrico com aplicação de Modelagem Matemática no Ensino Médio

Abstract

This article presents a didactic experience based on Mathematical Modeling as a pedagogical strategy to understand the depollution process of the Rio dos Frades, located in Guaratinga, Bahia, Brazil. The objective of the research was to analyze how mathematical modeling, integrated with an interdisciplinary approach between Mathematics and Biology, can enhance the understanding of water purification processes and the development of mathematical reasoning. The qualitative and exploratory research was carried out with students from the 3rd year of high school at Colégio Municipal Jésus Moura. Based on the environmental issues identified in the river, the students were challenged to build a mathematical model to simulate the reduction of pollutant concentration over time, using concepts of percentage, ratio, and proportion. To validate the theoretical model, an experimental simulation was conducted, allowing students to observe the evolution of water quality across different depollution cycles. Data analysis was grounded in the contributions of Alves (2009), Perlin (2023), and Ferreira & Wodewotzki (2005), authors who discuss mathematical modeling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical practice. The data were examined through participant observation, photographic records, calculation tables, and an evaluative questionnaire. The results indicate that mathematical modeling significantly contributed to understanding the water purification processes, promoting contextualized and interdisciplinary learning, and fostering students' environmental awareness.