The use of Scale-models in the Geography teaching

Abstract

The use of the mock-up in the Geography teaching is a important didactic resource, as it helps the understandingof the elevated degree of difficulty and abstraction themes, besides it promotes the social inclusion of peoplewith partial or total visual disabilities using touch into the learning process. The mock-up allows the thirddimension visualization of the objects that are being studied. In order to build the State of Paraná mock-up,it has been used the topographical map of the State, scaled 1/1.700.000, boards of isoprene of 5mm,vegetable paper, carbon paper , masking tape, colored pens, pins , white glue or isoprene glue , syntheticmass, abrasive paper, acrylic paints and paintbrushes. The procedure for building this mock-up was: thedrawing of the level curves, transposition of the level curves over the boards of isoprene, clipping and gluingof the boards of isoprene, re-covering this with the synthetic mass, fine adjustment and support. Somecautions are needed, mainly because of the risk that pointing and cutting materials offer. They may causeaccidents. The mock-up is didactic resources that may assist students understand the Geography concepts inthe most different scales, allowing associations among different proportions, from the local to the global. Suchassociations must be related to the daily life of the student and respect their cognitive development.