Edite Moraes da Costa: história local e protagonismo feminino na prática do ensino de História

Abstract

The research presents reflections stemming from a pedagogical experience conducted with ninth-grade students from the municipal school system of Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Santa Cruz. The activity involved interaction between the students and local resident, teacher, and researcher Edite Moraes da Costa. The themes addressed included the Santa Cruz neighborhood’s history, the ways in which local memory is constructed, and the appreciation of both tangible and intangible heritage. At the same time, gender issues were discussed, particularly the difficulty students faced in identifying female role models within their everyday environments. This opened space for a broader discussion on attempts to render women's contributions invisible in the historical development of the neighborhood. Thus, the memories and lived experiences of Edite Moraes da Costa helped highlight the roles played by women in the community and encouraged students to adopt new perspectives and questions about the spaces they inhabit, as well as to recognize the potential of women in both family and collective contexts through the practice of teaching history.