Brazil in the times of the Empire: the creation of geometry for primary schools

Abstract

The text analyzes the history of geometry as a content of primary education in Brazil. The period of study ranges from the first to the final decades of the nineteenth century. Official documentation and textbooks were the main research sources. The empirical study is analyzed under the historical-cultural perspective. With regard to the teaching of geometry, the following aspects are analyzed: the appropriation of Condorcet’s proposals, the discussions and debates carried out at the Brazilian National Congress, and the elaboration of a practical geometry for primary school. Results show the sedimentation of the Linear Drawing as geometry for the primary school.