The Transition from the Analytic to Synthesis Reasoning in the Maps of Geographic School Atlases for Children - Maps for the Future Children Education and Internet - page 86

The “Atlas g ´ n ´ ral Vidal-Lablache: histoire et g ´ ographie” of 1824 was a classic
that inspired several derivations in France as well as in other countries of the
continent.
In 1868, the first Brazilian school atlas was published, called “Atlas do Imp ´ rio
do Brazil” of C ˆ ndido Mendes de Almeida. It was adopted by the Col ´ gio Imperial
Pedro II, in Rio de Janeiro.
As a result of the whole evolution and epistemological transformation of atlases
cartography, a great number of assorted geographic school atlases are currently
available in print and electronic formats.

7.2 Elaborating a Geographical School Atlas

This elaboration is not a simple task. It will have to start with the lucubration about
the construction of the space notion and its representation by the student. As chief
sources, among others, there are the psychogenetic studies of Jean Piaget and his
team and of other researches, like the ones from Vygotsky and Wallon (Piaget and
Inhelder 1972 ; Wallon 1995 ; Vygotsky 1998 ).
In Brazil, we count on the contributions of Doctor Professor L´via de Oliveira,
who established the master lines for a correct orientation of these works, having
instituted a proper school with high qualified disciples (Oliveira 1978 , 2006 ;
Almeida and Passini 1989 ; Almeida 2001 ).
A school atlas will not be only a collection of maps, ready and finished, but a
systematic organization of representations developed with a specific intellectual
purpose. With this intent, the articulation of two fundamental methodological bases
has to be taken into account: the methodological basis of the map and the method-
ological basis of the acquisition of knowledge in geography trough the map.
Therefore, maps would not be seen as mere illustrative figures of didactic texts,
but as representations that reveal questions that will be tackled and discussed within
the geographic speeches, opening space to critical and conscious reflections.
The atlas enterprise considers the integrated interlacement of

two basic

orientations as a first step for its coordination:

￿ The teaching of the map, propagated on the theorist-methodological postures
about the construction of the space notion and its respective representation by
the scholar, involving initial cartography practices,
￿ The teaching through the map, accomplished on geography, promoting the
knowledge of the world from the spatial inclusion and continuity, starting by
the nearby, experienced and well known—the place—to the distant unknown—
the worldwide space.

The atlas content is organized in consonance with the context of the geography
methodological bases.
The spatial outline definition, ranging from the local place to the worldwide
space, would come linked to the question of the thematic and scale structure.