The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent the knowledge about biodiversity and sustainable development is being socialized in schools of the largest city of the Brazilian Amazon region, and whether or not this knowledge is prominent in basic schooling, so as to help creating public awareness about the value of the biological assets of the region, taking into account that biodiversity is one of the main riches of this region, and that sustainable development is the chief focus of public policies. The work aimed at the secondary school level, and analyzed ten schoolbooks and eight curriculum proposals related to the discipline of Biology; it also interviewed 24 teachers and 719 pupils from the third year of public and private schools in Belém (PA), Brazil. The results have shown that the contents presented in the schoolbooks, and recommended by the curriculum proposals have universal features, unrelated to regional issues, and that the knowledge of students and teachers about biodiversity - in general, and specific to the Amazon region - and sustainable development lack up-to-date scientific basis, and therefore do not achieve signification for the creation of a position focused on environmental conservation. The following proposals are made: a) more significant approximation of the school and the scientific knowledge produced about regional environmental issues, and b) establishment of public policies of educational nature in the region, giving priority to these discussions during teacher education.
Biodiversity; Sustainable development; Amazon; Teaching of Biology; Learning