Investigando a poluição sonora na escola: uma abordagem CTS sobre acústica no ensino médio

Abstract

In this present work, we present an investigative teaching sequence on applied acoustics in a public high school in Rio de Janeiro, with an STS approach. The study focused on noise pollution in the school's internal and external environments. Noise pollution is a common environmental matter in large cities and it is an actual problem in students' daily lives. Some schools were built near roads and as a consequence they are exposed to noise sources that make the environment harmful to human health. In order to investigate the properties of sound, computer softwares and mobile applications were used to analyze different types of noises that were recorded by the students. Using a Digital Audio Workstation, some of those noises were analyzed to assist in formulation of the concept of timbre and pitch of a sound. Students were introduced to the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards' norms on reference sound pressure levels for external and internal environments, and with the help of mobile applications, they collected data on sound level intensity in different areas of the school and with those data they produced a sound map. The activity culminated in the production of videos and posters warning about the risks associated with noise pollution, which were disseminated throughout the school.