Geographical Reasoning and Learning : Perspectives on Curriculum and Cartography from South America

This book presents the distinctive theoretical and methodological approaches in geography education in South America and more specifically in Brazil, Chile and Colombia.  It highlights cartography and maps as essential tools and provides a meaningful approach to learning in geographical education, thereby giving children and young people the opportunity to better understand their situations, contexts and social conditions. The book describes how South American countries organize their scholar curriculum and the ways in which they deal with geography vocabulary and developing fundamental concepts, methodologies, epistemological comprehension on categories, keywords and themes in geography.  It also describes its use in teachers’ practices and learning progressions, the use of spatial representations as a potent mean to visualize and solve questions, and harnesses spatial thinking and geographical reasoning development.  The book helps to improve teaching and learning practices in primary and secondary education and as such it provides an interesting read for researchers, students, and teachers of geography and social studies.

Sonia Maria Vanzella Castellar is Titular Professor at University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, researcher on productivity in CNPq, level 2. Has 20 years of experience as teacher in basic education and works with teacher’s training. Advised the Geography Curriculum in São Paulo municipality (2007-2009), São Paulo state (2010-2012) and National Common Curricular Basis (2016-2018). Was the Director of the Local Section of the Association of Brazilian Geographers, in São Paulo (2004-2008 and 2010-2012). She has experience for 20 years as Geography textbook author. Nowadays, teaches in graduation course on Faculty of Education and in the Department of Geography in Post-Graduation Program in Human Geography, at USP. She was the Technical Adviser at the USP Graduation Pro-Rector Cabinet (2014-2020), Department Head (2012-2014/2014- 2016) and editor of Anekumene Magazine from Rede Latino Americana de Investigadores em Didática da Geografia (REDLADGEO).

Marcelo Garrido-Pereira is Geographer and Bachelor of Geography, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; Pedagogue in Geography and Bachelor of Education, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; Doctor in Educational Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He is currently a professor in the Department of History and Geography of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences and coordinates the Interinstitutional Research Center Space and School. He was founder of the School of Geography of the Academy of Christian Humanism University, of the Geography Magazine ESPACIOS and of the Territorial Research and Interventions Program (PIIT). He has served as a board member of the Chilean Society of Geographical Sciences (SOCHIGEO) collaborating in the permanent commission of Geographic Education and is a member of the Latin American network of researchers in geography didactics (REDLADGEO). The topic of interest he has worked on is the production of space at school, geographical education and geographical theory.

Nubia Lache has a PhD in Education. Interinstitutional Doctoral Program in Education DIE – UN, at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas and Universidad del Valle (2014). She also has a Master’s Degree in Education, Emphasis in Geography, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (1995); a Specialization Degree in Theories, Techniques and Methods of Social Research at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (2005) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences Education, at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (1990). She works as endowed professor at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, precisely at the Science and Education Faculty where she teaches at the Social Sciences Curricular Project and at the Master in Education. She also works as professor and researcher at the Master in Social Studies: Social Construction of Space Branch at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. She has published some articles and books related tothe education of Geography, teacher training, city and literature in order to teach Geography, field trip and the didactic method of Geography.  She is a official member of various researcher groups such as: Red Latinoamericana de Investigadores en Didáctica de la Geografía – REDLADGEO, Interinstitutional Research Group Geopaideia, the Directive Committee of Geoforo: Geography, society and education. She is also editor of Anekumene.