POPCORN POPPING FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED – COLLABORATIVE TACTILE MODEL FOR TEACHING BOTANY Beatriz Dean Rizzo, Odair José Garcia de Almeida

Abstract

Nowadays, the teaching of botany may be characterized as boring and theoretical, and it may even be labeled by the absence of didactic materials that help the learning process. For the visually impaired people, the reality is even more complex, with the absence of tactile materials about this matter. The purpose of tactile models is to facilitate the approach of the visually impaired people for daily situations, in this case, it is the popcorn pop. An event that implies difficulty in understanding because the reduced size of the popcorns, as well as the speed of the burst. According to the experience in the event, the curiosity and animation of the students regarding the physical, chemical and botanical knowledge about the phenomenon was perceptible. This demonstrates an obvious need for playful objects that allude to daily situations that are not possible to be perceived without sight.