Teaching Cartography in the Fifth Grade of Elementary School: Map Reading and Interpretation at Escola Municipal Professor Luzivaldo Castro dos Santos

Abstract

This study analyzes students’ perceptions of cartography teaching in the fifth grade of elementary school at Escola Municipal Professor Luzivaldo Castro dos Santos, in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil. The objective was to identify difficulties related to map reading and interpretation and discuss pedagogical approaches to addressing them. The research is descriptive and combines a literature review, direct classroom observation, and a questionnaire comprising seven closed-ended questions administered to 26 students. Responses were organized into absolute frequencies and percentages and discussed based on the literature on cartographic literacy, spatial thinking, and teacher mediation. The results indicated that 77% of participants partially understand the content when maps are used, while 62% identified scale as their main difficulty. Although 92% acknowledged the use of maps and technologies in lessons, half reported being able to visualize and draw the place where they live. Paper was the medium most frequently identified by students, accounting for 62% of responses. The findings provide insights for strengthening pedagogical mediation through guided map reading, measurement comparisons, map legend development, and representations of students’ lived space. Since the results reflect perceptions from a single class, they neither establish the effectiveness of the resources used nor support generalizations to other school contexts or educational stages.