Lab Mãe d'Água - Open Scientific Instruments for Natural Sciences in High School

• Grant number: 25/14312-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Milena Ramires de Souza
• Grantee: Ian Costa
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade Santa Cecília (UNISANTA). Santos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/03919-2 - BioEduca: development of teaching materials and teaching-learning strategies for Biology, AP.R

Abstract

The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICT) has transformed teaching and learning processes, enabling new pedagogical approaches. Inquiry-based learning, which emphasizes active student investigation, can greatly benefit from the use of open-source technologies. The Mãe d'Água Lab is an initiative aimed at promoting theteaching of Natural Sciences in high school through activities and projects focused on experimental, inquiry-based learning. The proposal involves the design and construction of open-source experimental scientific instruments for environmental monitoring and their use to generate and analyze environmental data. The Lab is based on the legacy of Mãe d'Água, an unmanned robotic aquatic vehicle equipped with an open-source water quality monitoring system, developed during a master's research project at UNISANTA. The Mãe d'Água Lab seeks to go beyond the original project by offering a strategy for creating and implementing activities for high school education. The approach is grounded in empathetic and participatory design research methods, involving the development of scientific instruments that can be used in field activities tailored to local realities.