Socio enviromental perception of the living space: implementing Chernoff Faces method in the secondary school
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Sousa, I.; 2Di Maio, A.
1UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL PAULISTA JULIO DE MESQUITA FILHO Email: contatoiomatra@gmail.com
2UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL FLUMINENSE Email: dimaio@vm.uff.br
Abstract
As Internet develops and advances, new methods, techniques, material and tools used in the map-making process have come up making possible an online depiction of the earth surface, mainly in the production of different sorts of thematic maps during Geography classes. In this sense, the goal of this paper is to develop and evaluate a method for Cartography instruction, following Chenoff Faces method for the purpose of studying the socio-environmental perception of the students’ own living space. This method has become an innovative tool for working out Thematic Cartography in school, since its figurative display of information using human faces with eyes, nose and mouth can depict different variables of geographical space. The method entails the make of Chernoff Faces while developing the activities which are linked to a free app named Google Maps. The goal of the activities is to have the students themselves analyse the places where they live taking into account the existence of green areas, the availability of basic services for the local population, such as health care and education, and also the existence of water and sewerage system. Such a task will entail the use of observations and data collection done by the students through interviews with the local inhabitants and other agents involved in the production of city space. The data collected by the students will be depicted on Chernoff Faces, over a free designing computer program Paintbrush; later on, these drawings will be posted on Google Maps in JPG format so as to display the students’ perception of the living space, that is to say, the neighborhood where they live. Based on the production and implementation of the cartographic activicties brought up in this paper, the input of using Chernoff’s method will be evaluated as a resource applied to teaching Cartography for 6th grade students so as to build their geographical knowledge. Two 6th grade groups of Elementary Education from the Municipal School Botafogo in Macaé/RJ will be chosen for implementing such methodological proposal. In accordance with the National Curricular Parameters (PCN) of Geography and the transversal theme Environment of the third cycle of Elementary Education in Brazil, the aforementioned activities will be developed supported by digital technology. There is an expectation that this method may help the students improve their understanding and reading skills of geographic information depicted in maps, in such a way that they feel motivated about learning maps through Thematic Geography, and thus asserting themselves as citizens. This methodology will be developed in 8 classes of 50 minutes during the first semester in 2015.