Reading the Water as instrument-and-result: citizenship in different subjects at a Brazilian school Maria Cristina DAMIANOVIC 1 Viviane de Souza KLEN -ALVES 2 3 Introduction: humanity needs to read Earth together Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, But Earth has provided the conditions essential to life´s evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of human depend Upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soil, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples, The protection of Earth´s vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust. Earth Charter This paper presents a study which has been developed at Programa de Extensão Ação Cidadã / Extension Program of Citizenship Action (PAC) 4 , Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo/ Brazil. We aim to: (i) understand and develop a process of inclusion (Liberali, 2008) with students with reading difficulties and to (ii) analyse the role of reading in didactic material developed based on the notion of genre (Bakhtin 1997/1953) for elementary public school students (10-11 years old). This research focuses on the importance of developing critical reading (Rojo, 2004) in different areas at school. This research also discusses reading as an instrument and result (Newman & Holzman, 1993) activity. The results indicate that a genre based material and a critical instrument and result reading methodology (a) increase students’ knowledge and attitude towards reading and (b) promote inclusion among students who start and are willing to go on with citizenship acting towards the protection of Earth´s vitality, diversity and beauty. 1 Maria Cristina Damianovic has a PhD in Applied Linguistics (AL) and is a teacher at the master’s degree course in AL and at the bachelor’s degree at the College of Teaching. Her area of research concentrates on strategies of language for a discourse for peace and on the role of literature in developing a more sustainable world. She is the coordinator of the project “Literary Pages to Develop New Critical Political Readers and Writers” and the author of De um limón, una limonada / De um limão, uma limonada (2008); A Galinha dos Amigos de Ouro (2008), Famílias:Sempre-Vivas (2007), São Paulo:Caras e Bocas (2006) e Brasil:Palavras de um Cotidiano (2005), and has organized Material Didático: Elaboração e Avaliação (2007) among others. She is a member and researcher at Acting as Citizens Program (PAC) at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo/ Brazil. She is also a volunteer for the Earth Charter in Brazil and Costa Rica. www.linguagemeformacao.com.br 2 Viviane de Souza Klen-Alves is a third year student of languages (Portuguese and English) and a supervisee of Fernanda Liberali´s at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC-SP –Brazil. Besides being a leader in her classroom, community and family, where she has been engaged to promote productive processes enabling people to be more effective and innovative in every aspect of life and work, she is an extremely active and essential member of Acting as Citizens Program (PAC) at PUC-SP. Her research has been supported by CAPES (2006-2007) and CNPq Brazil (2008-2009) and concentrates on reading in different subjects at Brazilian schools with a special focus on inclusion, reading, collaboration, bilingualism and second language learning. viviane.klen@gmail.com 3 We would like to thank Eliana Hirano for having revised the article in English. 4 Acting as Citizens Program.