THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL MODELS OF DNA IN CLASSROOM BY TEACHERS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The importance of the teaching of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology is evidenced by the progress of those areas and it generates a demand in the updating of science and biology teachers. In that sense, a project was proposed inside of the Public Education Program of FAPESP, in partnership with CBME.The goal was evaluate, among other educational tools, the contribution of the plastic models "Building the molecules of the life: DNA and RNA" in the teaching and learning of these concepts. Nine science teachers of public elementary schools had an updating course after which they elaborated a diagnosis questionnaire in order to subsidize the application of the activities in the classroom. The activities were planned seeking contextualize the subject in classroom, taking into account the difficulties detected in the diagnosis questionnaire. A sheet of notes was elaborated, where the teachers could record their observations and thoughts after the application of the activities, as well as their possibilities and the students' difficulties. These registers indicated that the teachers were satisfied with the use of the material, which made possible a deepened study on the content and a greater interest and participation of the students. It also allowed a reflection on their practice, glimpsing new ways to teach

PROFILE OF STUDENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND THEIR INTEREST ON BIOTECHNOLOGY

The Coordination of Education and Dissemination of CBME contributes to reduce the distance between the fast progress of the Biotechnology and Molecular Biology and the low understanding of the society about the concepts that involve these themes. Thus, to promote this connection in a conscious way, we compose a social-cultural profile of 84 students of high school (public and private) of São Carlos (SP) and we examine their interest on Biotechnology. Applying a written questionnaire, we obtained information about their access and use of computers, interest for science and their evaluation about the media’s approach, and sources of information on these subjects. From the questionnaires, we registered that 78% of the students of the public school rarely or never participated in practical classes, and 12% ignore the existence of a laboratory in the school. In the private school the scores in these two issues are practically null. About the term "DNA", 33% of the students of the public school answered "I don’t know what is this", versus 5% in the private school. However, 82% of all the students have some understanding about the "gene", with small advantage to the private school. Regarding their interest in Biotechnology, there were few discrepancies among the two schools, being verified larger reference to the following themes: "contributions for the cure of human diseases” (44%), "discoveries that help the human being" (25%), "constitution and functioning of the human body" (22%), "technological developments" (21%) and "to produce experiments" (20%). Therefore, the data showed us what are the most appropriate approaches to teaching the theme  Biotechnology and indicated which students' deficiencies should be considered on it