The independence of Brazil in the teaching books for children: an analysis of didactic production among the decade of 1970 and 2000

Abstract

The textbook has been a central instrument in Brazilian school culture. In this sense, our research was dedicated to understanding this material and, more specifically, as a content of History of the early years Elementary School with great national repercussion is presented in these manuals over time. Thus, we conducted a survey of materials in the library of the textbook of the University of São Paulo in which the theme of the “Independence of Brazil” for the teaching of history to Children was approached. This survey resulted in an analysis of fifty works corresponding to the first and fourth grade of the first grade that are equivalent today to Elementary School from the first to the fifth year, between the decades of the 1970 and 1980. The qualitative analysis of these materials resulted in the selection of eight works for the construction of a systematized interpretation referring to historical subjects, images and proposals of activities. Therefore, with this study we perceive permanences and changes relative to the content in general. Some of the permanencies refer to mnemonic methods and short texts with questionnaires that seek to obtain explicit answers and a predominantly chronological history that does not seek to problematize the historical facts. However, changes in the customs of society and legislation directly affect the production of these materials, as well as the graphic treatment of content and educational purposes for the teaching of History throughout the period selected this study.