Linguagem cartográfica e prática docente na rede municipal de ensino de Uberlândia MG - 2003

Abstract

This research has the objective to contribute to an effective improvement of the quality in teaching Geography by means of discussions and considerations on the teaching practice. Using cartographical language, we present possible ways for a significant teaching practice which is indispensable for the students understanding in the different domains that are socially built. Starting with an analysis of works referring to the Geography teaching as well as its cartographical language, we did a research in 2003 involving teachers of the 5th grade of the elementary public school in Uberlândia-MG. Our aims were to investigate the methodological procedures that those teachers make use to teach Geography and, to question if Cartography is used as a tool to help students do read, interpret and analyze the geographical space. The analysis of the collected data confirmed that the current didactic approaches still follow traditional patterns of teaching, and that the cartographical work developed by the teachers is ruled by the use of maps already made up. Besides, Cartography continues being treated by the teachers as a content which is dissociated of the geographical concepts. We also tried to explore the knowledge and procedures of the teachers in relation to the cartographic language by means of some activities. Most of the answers indicate that there are a of difficulties even with simple contents such as geographical locations, understanding and scale use, projection, construction and reading of topographical profile. The results also helped to guide the development of some methodological procedures that were worked with the teachers. With the conviction that the teaching of Geography allows by means of maps to accomplish comparative studies and to understand the different landscapes and spaces that are socially produced and also, that the interactive activities contribute more efficiently so that reasoning prevails on memory, we hope to alert teachers for the importance of the construction and reading of maps in the process of teaching-learning Geography.