From reading to the territory: children's literature, scientific investigation, and artificial intelligence in the formation of child researchers

Abstract

This article analyzes a pedagogical intervention developed with a second-grade class in a public elementary school in southern Brazil, which articulated children's literature, scientific investigation in the territory, and the critical use of generative artificial intelligence. The proposal focused on the construction and reading of narratives with a scientific theme about the Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), the symbol bird of Rio Grande do Sul, integrating reading practices, field research, production of records, and critical analysis of texts and images generated by AI. Methodologically, the study is configured as an experience report with a qualitative approach, based on field diary entries, children's graphic productions, group discussions, and participant observation. The results indicate that the articulation between literature, territorial research, and digital technologies favored children's engagement in epistemic practices, the development of scientific literacy and multiliteracies, as well as the construction of a critical stance towards the automated productions of artificial intelligence, especially with regard to conceptual errors and representational biases. It is argued that the integration between narrative, science, and technology, when pedagogically mediated, can significantly contribute to the formation of children researchers from the early years.