De Emile Zola a Jose Saramago: Interfaces didaticas entre as ciencias naturais e a literatura universal

It would be possible to address scientific topics from literary works, even when they do not have explicit elements from the natural sciences? This question, which is the focus of this work, derives from current researches that look to approach science education to other forms of cultural manifestations and, in certain moments, confronts that problem. When it comes from literary works with clear allusion to science, is more or less evident that some form of exploitation can be conducted and several authors, including us, have been engaged in investigating such possibilities. However, if we consider the wider school context in which interdisciplinary projects have received increasing attention, it is common for the educator of scientific areas being confronted with proposals for topics and materials that apparently guards no relation to the contents of their disciplines. However, one must consider that literary works are cultural products of a society and thus, convey the concerns and issues that the socio-historical context imposes. Therefore, in a society where science and technology play a central role, it is expected that the problems, the ways of thinking and the concepts conveyed in the artistic works present, even implicitly, aspects related to science and technology. In this paper, by analyzing two novels with not explicitly scientific themes, we seek to develop methodological parameters to identify, demonstrate and characterize such aspects in order to offer science educators and proposers tools for the inclusion of such kind of works in theirs educational projects