A Abordagem da Aromaterapia e Extração de Óleos Essenciais como Tema Gerador para o Ensino de Química Orgânica

The Approach to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Extraction as a Generating Theme for Teaching Organic Chemistry

Resumo

Teaching Chemistry involves knowledge that helps to explain natural phenomena. Despite this, it faces
adversities both to be taught and to be learned. Therefore, this work proposes the theme of aromatherapy
in an essential oil extraction workshop as a methodology for contextualizing the teaching of Organic
Chemistry. The workshops took place during the 9th Academic Week of the IFFluminense Campus
Itaperuna, lasting 15-20 minutes, for 180 students. The workshop was structured in the approach of
the Three Pedagogical Moments and used extraction techniques by steam drag, hydrodistillation and
by Soxhlet using cloves, cinnamon sticks and peppermint as plant material. 3D-printed molecules of
the major compounds of the oils were also used to visualize the structures. The results were evaluated
through pre- and post-workshop questionnaires. Through the questionnaires, questions relevant to the
reality of Brazilian education can be observed, and that after the workshop 80% of the students said they
felt motivated to study Organic Chemistry, in addition to the 10.6% increase in correct answers in the
question: “Do you know which is the element considered the ‘building block’ of life?”.