This article presents the results of an investigation into the teaching of environmental history in basic education. The investigation started from reflections in the field of environmental history and historical education to carry out a pedagogical practice with students in the 6th year, of Elementary School, from two public schools in Paranaguá-PR. The methodology used was the Class-Work-shop, in which cave paintings, from the Serra da Capivara National Park, were used as sources for the reconstruction of past natural environments and discus-sion of climate change. Based on Jörn Rüsen (2001) theory of historical con-sciousness, the investigation reveals that students developed the perception that the environment is not static and concludes that the historical consciousness of the genetic type involves the under-standing that human experiences in time do not occur without interaction with the natural world.
