School geography atlas of Assú (RN): didactic material for the study of the place

Abstract

The teaching of Geography in basic education aims to promote the study and/or problematization of the place as a lived space, being such place understood as a category of analysis of the geographical space. In the last decade, the production of didactic-pedagogical materials that address reality on a local scale has been stimulated and the Municipal School Atlases are among these materials. The purpose of this research was to analyze the School Geography Atlas of the Municipality of Assú (RN) designed to be used as didactic material, in order to mediate the teaching-learning of the Geography subject in the second cycle of Elementary Education. The methodological stages of the research consisted of: 1) bibliographic review; 2) cartographic survey; 3) deskwork; 4) field research; and 5) organization of the boards that make up the Atlas. As a result, it was found that the Atlases are important didactic-pedagogical resources that can make the teaching of Geography more dynamic, with the study of the place as a starting point capable of bringing students closer to geographical knowledge and concepts. The lack of local information is still a major limiting factor in the teaching practice, as it is fragmented and often decontextualized. This finding strengthens the use of these didactic materials in the classroom. Cartographic representations contribute to the contextualized understanding of the local reality, making it possible to spatialize both physical and social phenomena. The Atlases play a key role in the teaching of Geography, in addition to mediating the teaching-learning process in order that it is capable of leading students to spatial thinking.