ABSTRACT
Brazil is a nation characterized, above all, by its high levels of inequality. In order to characterize national disparities, we will utilize the Human Development Index (HDI), which works with the basic concept that three essential conditions are present in all levels of development: longevity, educational level, and access to resources. We use the HDI to delineate the three large groups into which Brazil is divided, assigning the states and Federal District as follows (IPEA 1996, 11-16): 1. High Human Development-Rio Grande do Sui, the Federal District, Sao
Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Mato Grosso do Sui, and Espirito Santo;
2. Medium Human Development-Minas Gerais, Goias, Mato Grosso, Rondonia, Amazonas, Roraima, and Amapa;
3. Low Human Development-Para, Acre, Sergipe, Maranhao, Tocantins, Piaui, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Alagoas, and Bahia
In this chapter, we explore curriculum and teaching both nationally and regionally, referring to three states from the three different regions: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco, representing areas of high, medium, and low human development, respectively, according to the criteria of the HDI.
