Multiple representations thematic and spatial reading -level and higher -level question: An experience in basic education in Brazil

摘要

The representation area in thematic cartography has as one of its methods the graphic sociology, which rests on the system of signs and meanings guided by the reading of the space at different levels of analysis, as the level of the question and the reading level. These levels can be applied to different methods of spatial representations. The reading space in the question level allows the reader of the representation establish the reading of the geographic space presented in two forms: the level of detail question and the level of global question. The first allows answers to questions such as "what place? what's th ere?", while the second allows answer for the question "in what place is this data value?". The reading space on the upper level requires the reader a spatial analysis, in what should be done a correlation between different thematic values presented by representation in different localities. With the purpose of observing these different levels of spatial reading using different representations, this work presents the results of a practice held in a public school located in the county of Santa Gertrudes (State of Sao Paulo), with sixty-one students of the 3rd year of high school, aged 17 years. The practice held sought to establish how students interact with the reading of a geographic space represented by multiple representations graphics and cartographics - column charts, anamorphosis maps, coropleth maps - and also establish what levels of question reading and of upper reading were performed by these students in their interaction with the representations used. The content used in practice has consisted of developing multiple spatial representations (column charts, anamorphosis maps, coropleth maps) of the same geographic theme proposed by the teacher: the indigenous population of Latin America. First these representations were presented to students and, then were asked questions related to the topic presented. This exercise required the students to do a reading of question level and upper level. In the activity the students should indicate which representation was used to answer each question. The results of this practice showed that 65% of students used only one representation to answer the exercises, while the remaining 35% used multiple representations. Among the students who used the multiple representations, the practice has disclosed that 65% of them a nswered correctly the exercise that required the level of global question, while 82% of students answered correctly the exercises that required a reading level of detail question and an upper reading of the presented informations. These results show that most students who participated in the practice performed did not use multiple representations, and among students who used multiple representations, the reading level of the global question was the one in which students had more reading difficulty. We can conclude that it is extremely important the encouragement of the use of multiple representations since the Elementary School, in order that students can to develop better this level of reading, what may provide a better reading of geographical space.Considering that each type of representation values a certain level of reading space disadvantaging another one, the teacher should indicate to students what types of representations are more suitable in every context.