Mapas geográficos como ferramentas de uso na educação escolar: uma proposta de construção de um atlas geográfico do município de Bom JesusRN

Abstract

This work presents a proposal for the development of a School Geographic Atlas for the municipality of Bom Jesus-RN, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The objective was to create a didactic resource capable of systematizing the natural and social aspects of the local territory and promoting geography teaching that is contextualized with the students’ place of living. The study adopted an approach that integrates three dimensions: technical, pedagogical, and critical. Methodologically, it is characterized as a mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative aspects, with an applied nature and exploratory and descriptive purposes. The procedures involved theoretical and documental research, field activities, and geoprocessing techniques aimed at producing thematic cartography. The results suggest that the cartographic representation of Bom Jesus-RN' territory contributes to the development of spatial thinking and broadens the possibilities for didactic mediation. It is concluded that the elaboration of the atlas represents a way to value students' territory, reaffirms place as a starting point for geography teaching, and strengthens more contextualized pedagogical practices, pointing to future initiatives that emphasize place as a central category in the construction of school knowledge.