Abstract:

The University of São Paulo represents one of the biggest scientific production centers regionally and nationally, because has an important role in scientific and social community. Inside that university, at Geography Department of the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature, and Human Sciences (FFLCH), we participate of a project called "Climate Atlas", that aims to produce educational materials in technological platforms which contributes to improve the teaching of Climatology at the University, in order to apply it in the didactic teaching of Basic Sciences. The drafting process of the atlas is based on the preparation of figures, maps, animations and interpretations of the material. The teaching materials generated by this project should normally be used in the disciplines like Climatology in the Geography course at FFLCH-USP using image viewing programs. We expect a positive impact on the learning process due to the efficiency of the graphic language in this process. Furthermore, free access to content, allows greater student interest in a socially responsible university. Methodologically, this work consists of data analysis of the last three decades world climatic behavior. These data are provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Earth System Research Laboratory (NCEP/NCAR), available on National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) website. After we download these data, we prepare the maps and the graphics, using the Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS), a software that is used for easy access, manipulation, and visualization of earth science data. The results of these manipulations, it is going to compose a special kind of didactic materials: interactive surfaces (e.g. totems, monitors, digital displays), that will be available to everyone at Geography Department of the University of São Paulo: students, professors, researchers etc., a very efficient manner to approximate them to the climatology research.

Keywords:

Didactic material, climate atlas, technological platforms, climatology, atmospheric behavior.