MENTAL MAP IN GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION: A WAY TO EXPRESS YOUR LIVING SPACE

Abstract

Modern life needs more and more the manipulation of maps with the most varied information that help man to relate to the world around him, however, in several situations the map is used in the classroom only to locate certain places, without giving a greater emphasis on the way in which the elements are arranged, such as lines, routes, subtitles, points, scales, among many other points that help to develop in students the cartographic literacy and spatial reasoning. In this perspective, the mental map is proposed as a methodology, capable of expressing the scientific knowledge seen in the classroom, together with the knowledge and daily experiences that the students have before their living space. Examples of mental maps prepared by elementary school students is presented for reflection on this instrument that translates the subjectivity of the individual, and expands the spatial reasoning of students. It was possible to apprehend the perceptions, the significances and understand the different views of the individuals reflected in the representations themselves.