Mapping the surrounding environment by pupils. Case study: Primary school “Ismail Qemali” in Chair - Skopje

Abstract. Cartography in primary schools in the Republic of North Macedonia is present as part of geography subject, for four years from sixth to ninth level, per two hours weekly. Program is limited only on usage of paper maps aimed for learning geospatial phenomena, without information for map making process.

Step forward toward increasing the awareness for including mapping in practical part of curricula in geography and other related subjects, are the activities undertaken by the Geo-SEE Institute from Skopje, by giving practical lectures to pupils in Primary School “Ismail Qemali” in Chair municipality, for usage the digital cartography tools via GIS software.

Training was designed to be used FOSS for GIS and open geospatial data by teachers and pupils. Field identification and collection of geospatial data based on ortho images and other base materials, as well usage of smart phones have been used as supplementary methodology for establishing geospatial database aimed for map compilation. Voluntary geographic information and crowd sourcing methodologies as opportunities for usage in teaching and learning process in primary schools not only for geography but for all subjects that intersects with geospatial information, were explained to attendees. Within very short period of one and half month, before pandemic on march 2020, pupils achieved to work with basic tools of QGIS software, as well to compile two maps, one geographical map of North Macedonia, and a map of neighbourhood “Topansko Pole (Fushë Topanë)” as city map of the settlement in which the primary school is located.