Atlas Geográfico Escolar do Município de Cabaceiras - PB: um recurso didático para uma educação geográfica contextualizada.

Abstract

The School Geographic Atlas of the Municipality of Cabaceiras/PB was conceived as a teaching resource for Geography education, linked to the thematic axis of languages in Geography teaching. This proposal stems from the author's personal and academic journey; their background is deeply rooted in the Cariri region of Paraíba-specifically the municipality of Cabaceiras-where early exposure to school cartographic materials sparked an initial interest in Geography. The Atlas aims to integrate themes such as geographic science, the Semiarid region, and environmental education, while emphasizing the value of place. In this regard, the Atlas seeks to bridge scientific knowledge with the local realities of students and teachers, fostering a critical, contextualized, and participatory approach to geographic space. Cabaceiras was selected because it exemplifies the characteristics of the Northeastern Semiarid region, combining rich cultural diversity and historical/regional significance with socio environmental vulnerability-most notably the advancing process of desertification. The Atlas is organized into ten thematic chapters: (1) Foundations, objectives, and organization of the School Geographic Atlas; (2) Introduction to basic cartography and map reading; (3) Historical, political, and symbolic construction of Cabaceiras as a territory; (4) Physical-natural and socio environmental foundations of the Cabaceiras territory; (5) Socioeconomic characteristics of the municipality of Cabaceiras; (6) Culture, traditions, and heritage in Cabaceiras; (7) Tourism and territorial valorization: the potential of Cabaceiras; (8) The Cabaceiras River Basin: territory, memory, and identity in the Paraíba Semiarid; (9) Desertification and living with the Semiarid environment; and (10) Cabaceiras: a proposal for regionalization and territorial articulation. Each chapter incorporates explanatory texts, images, graphs, photographs, and cartographic representations, offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the various aspects that define the municipality's geography. The methodology adopted involved a literature review and the analysis of secondary data from official institutions-such as the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the National Institute of the Semiarid (INSA), the National Water Agency (ANA), the Ministry of the Environment, and the Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM), among others-as well as fieldwork, photography, and map creation using geotechnologies. The thematic maps, which are the primary output of the project, were produced using georeferenced data that integrated physical, social, economic, and cultural information, thereby visually reinforcing the content developed throughout the chapters. This research stands as an initiative that integrates scientific knowledge, social commitment, and pedagogical innovation within the context of the Semiarid region-specifically the municipality of Cabaceiras-thereby reinforcing the social and educational role of school-level Geography.