Cartography in Textbooks Published Between 1824 and 2002 in Brazil - Maps for the Future Children Education and Internet - page 75

Chapter 6
Cartography in Textbooks Published Between
1824 and 2002 in Brazil
Levon Boligian and Ros ˆ ngela Doin de Almeida
Abstract The main focus of enquiry on this research is the historical evolution of
Cartography contents from 1824 until 2002 and its role in the establishment of an
educational geographic culture in Brazilian schools. It has identified curricular
alternations, permanence and transformations of these contents during the
investigated period, taking as source materials the official syllabus programmes,
but especially the compendia and Geography textbooks addressed to students in the
first year of secondary school. Through this socio-historical view of the curriculum,
it was possible to evidence important epistemological differences between the
scientific geographical knowledge and the educational geographical knowledge.
6.1 Purposes for This Study
This research investigated the hole that Geography textbooks, published since the
beginning of the nineteenth century, and the curricular contents contained therein
have in the socio-historical process of construction and reconstruction of an educa-
tional geographical knowledge considering the Brazilian educational system.
To achieve this aim, the evolution of Cartography contents presented by authors
of textbooks and by the Brazilian official programmes to students in the first year of
secondary school was analyzed and, through a spreadsheet of subjects, notions and
cartographic concepts, it was possible to notice the alternations, the ruptures and the
curricular transformations occurred between 1824 and 2002.