Os Saberes Tradicionais no ensino de Geografia, na escola Municipal Marcelino Henrique, da comunidade Santa Rita de Cássia da Valéria em Parintins, AM, Brasil

Abstract

This thesis, entitled “Traditional Knowledge in Geography Teaching at Marcelino Henrique Municipal School, Santa Rita de Cássia da Valéria Community, Parintins, AM, Brazil”, explores the possibilities of articulating Traditional Knowledge with the teaching of Geography. The study is justified by the need to broaden the understanding of the relevance of such knowledge within the school context, challenging the hegemonic logic that often marginalizes it. The research adopts a phenomenological approach to address the central question: What forms of articulation between Traditional Knowledge and the teaching of Geography are possible, based on the perspectives of residents and students at Marcelino Henrique Municipal School? The main objective was to understand the articulations between Traditional Knowledge and the teaching of Geography, drawing on the perceptions of residents of the Santa Rita de Cássia da Valéria community and students in the final years of elementary education at Marcelino Henrique Municipal School. To achieve this, three specific objectives were established: (I) To learn about the community’s history through the collective memory of elder residents, aiming to reconstruct the history of the place; (II) To map the traditional knowledge of residents and students in the final years of elementary education, focusing on water, land, forest, and atmospheric phenomena, using written accounts, illustrations, and dialogues; (III) To identify how Traditional Knowledge can be incorporated into the teaching of Geography within the community. The methodology is grounded in Merleau-Ponty’s (1999) phenomenology as the methodological approach and in Deleuze and Guattari’s (1995) cartography as the procedural method. The research involved a group of 12 residents and 6 sixth-grade students, using techniques such as informal conversations, active listening, written activities, and drawings. The findings show that incorporating traditional knowledge into Geography teaching is both feasible and enriching, particularly when aligned with the Thematic Units of the BNCC (Brazilian Common Core Curriculum). Furthermore, the results highlight that such knowledge—often overlooked by formal science—can be valued and enhanced within the school environment, contributing to a humanized, localized, and life-centered educational perspective.