What are maps for? A didactic proposal for teaching Geography in lower secondary education

Abstract

Maps have traditionally occupied a prominent place in the teaching of geography. However, recent research indicates that students are often not competent in using maps and that teachers are not adequately prepared to teach map skills effectively. This study focuses on a teaching proposal developed within the framework of a broader project on geographic literacy, involving 3rd-year lower secondary students from the Balearic Islands. To improve students’ ability to read and interpret maps, a learning situation entitled What Are Maps For? was designed. This motivating question aimed to mobilize the specific competencies, assessment criteria, and core knowledge outlined in the official curriculum for Geography. The spatial reasoning activities included in the proposal enabled students to recognize how diverse phenomena are interconnected through space, with maps serving as a privileged tool to reveal such relationships. The results confirmed that students from the experimental groups who completed the spatial reasoning activities showed a significant improvement in their ability to read and interpret maps compared to those in the control groups who did not participate in the intervention.