Introducing the special issue: some thoughts on school cartography

The introduction to this special issue begins with a brief background on some of the milestones in the history of school cartography, from the publication of the first school atlases to research activities developed in the twentieth century. The research projects developed in the twentieth century contributed to determine e.g. which core skills children should develop when they begin to learn map use, as well as tried to find answers to diverse questions that cartographers, geographers, teachers and other colleagues ask when teaching concepts related to maps or map use in schools. Finally, a short overview of the articles chosen for the special issue is offered, giving a general idea of the wide spectrum of themes that editors wished to cover with this selection.