The didactic value of the waterfalls from prudentopolis, Parana State

The municipality of Prudentopolis situated at Parana State, Southern Brazil, is renowned for the large number of waterfalls throughout its territory. Many of them reach several tens of meters in height and have a varied water volume and lithological context, leading to beautiful landscapes. This situation is related to a combination of geological constraints, local remarkable geomorphological differences, and hydrological issues acting at a geological time scale. Such sites attract a large number of tourists every year, and rather than being just a place where a river falls over a steep ledge, a reason to wonder people, these waterfalls and the natural system which they belong have much to say about Geosciences themes. Seeking to demonstrate the didactic value of the waterfalls, a questionnaire was given mainly to teachers of Geosciences courses from Parana State public universities, which perform or have performed field work in these locations. Contents cited in this survey include: the rock cycle, Regional Geology, fluvial geomorphology processes and landforms. In addition to the content mentioned by the teachers, other themes (Plate Tectonics, main geomorphological domains of the Parana State, stream hierarchy) were highlighted in three of the visited waterfalls, also accompanied by discussions on environmental services and nature conservation. Although this study has emphasized higher education, the set of themes can also be explored in elementary and secondary education, as well as in non-formal education, providing printed material and with the installation of information panels for tourists.