Environmental Education in Chemistry Classes

The great difficulty in the teaching and learning process of chemical content experienced by most students, especially in high school, is often attributed to the gap between the chemical knowledge learned in the classroom and its application in situations experienced by students in their daily lives. Given this reality and based on the need to develop topics that address environmental issues in chemistry classes, this study aimed to show a possibility of incorporating the topic "Waste versus recycling" into basic education chemistry classes. To this end, the methodology employed was the use of experimental activities, combined with reading and discussing news reports that raised awareness of environmental issues through chemical knowledge. It is hoped that the proposals presented here will serve as a basis and inspiration for educators who are interested in improving their teaching methods, as well as improving the performance and achievement of their students, especially in the area of chemistry.