BETWEEN TRAILS AND WALKS: TEACHING LOCAL HISTORY AT THE PEREGRINO JÚNIOR STATE SCHOOL –NATAL/RN.
Public school; Local History; curriculum; Natal.
This research project focuses on the teaching of Local History and the pedagogical practices developed at Peregrino Júnior State School, located in the North Zone of Natal, RN, Brazil. The study is based on the understanding that the teaching of Local History is an important tool in building students’ identities, strengthening their sense of belonging, and valuing the memories and narratives of local historical subjects. The guiding research question is: How is Local History taught at Peregrino Júnior State School? To address this question, the general objective is to analyze the teaching of Local History in the aforementioned school. The specific objectives are: (a) to discuss the pedagogical potential of the "A Gota Serena" learning pathway, part of the Humanities and Social Sciences curriculum track; (b) to investigate the "Historical Walks" activity and its relationship with the teaching of Local History; and (c) to collaboratively produce an educational booklet with students about the sites of memory in the North Zone of Natal. The theoretical framework is grounded in the contributions of Bittencourt (2008, 2021), Abud (2021), Freitas (2013), Viana (2017), among others, who explore the role of Local History in the school context, the curriculum as a normative instrument, and the relations between memory, identity, and belonging. The research also engages with the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), the Brazilian Law of Guidelines and Bases for Education (LDB), and the Rio Grande do Norte state curriculum, highlighting the "A Gota Serena" learning pathway as a practical approach to teaching local themes. The methodology is based on the proposals of Gil (2008) and Lakatos (2010), adopting a qualitative approach that includes bibliographic and documentary research, as well as semi-structured interviews with five Humanities teachers at the school. In addition, a teaching plan will be developed with third-year high school students for the collaborative construction of a booklet on the sites of memory in the North Zone of Natal. The data analysis will be conducted using Content Analysis, in light of the method proposed by Laurence Bardin (2016), which is recognized for its applicability in qualitative research in the educational field. This analysis aims to understand the limits and possibilities of implementing Local History as a meaningful pedagogical practice within the context of the New High School.