Chemistry of Ayahuasca: A Didactic Approach to Teach Functional Groups

Abstract

Most High School chemistry teachers keep having difficulty in contextualizing school contents in their lessons. The use of new methodologies in school enables students to understand, in their practice, the theory that they have been thought. Therefore, this study aimed at applying a case study that addressed the theme ayahuasca to teach functional groups to High School seniors at the Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro - Campus Uberlândia Centro. The main objective of the proposal was to develop a pedagogical practice that could help students not only understand scientific knowledge but also perceive its connection with reality. The whole study was designed from the methodological perspective of essentially qualitative and participatory action research. Results showed that the didactic strategy of a contextualized case study favored conceptual learning and skill development. As a result, it stimulated students to get even more involved in activities proposed in Chemistry lessons.