CONSTRUCTION OF THE GAME "EXPLORERS OF SAO GONCALO DO AMARANTE": A PLAYFUL TOOL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING GEOGRAPHY THROUGH LANDSCAPE READING
Educational Game; Exploradores de São Gonçalo do Amarante; School Geography; Landscape; Cartography
This research aims to develop the educational game entitled “Exploradores de Sao Goncalo do Amarante” and analyze its contribution to Geography teaching in schools. The game is presented as a didactic resource with accessible language, especially designed for 6th and 7th-grade students in Elementary School - Final Years. Methodologically, the study was structured into three main stages: (1) literature review; (2) application of the game in two 6th-grade classes; and (3) analysis of this application based on a pre-established observation script. The theoretical framework supporting the study and game development is based on authors who discuss the concept of landscape and its application in Geography teaching, such as Callai (2013), Castellar (2013), Cavalcanti (2013), and Dantas (2007); on cartographic literacy, such as Abreu (2017), Azambuja (2012), and Cunha (2023); on the theories of Meaningful Learning, with Ausubel (2003) and Moreira (2006); on Multiple Intelligences, with Gardner (1994) and Antunes (2001); and on the construction and use of games as a pedagogical tool for teaching Geography, as discussed by Araujo (2017), Breda (2018), Lunarti (2020), and Nobrega (2019). The results indicate that the game Exploradores de Sao Goncalo do Amarante is an effective didactic resource for elementary school teachers, enhancing geographical reasoning and promoting meaningful learning.