Abstract:

“Territory without boundaries” is born as a new school project which aim is the knowledge and dissemination of cartography, remote sensing, census data and Geographical Information System (GIS) applied to the study of the environmental and territorial aspects.
This teaching method, developed by CSSAS, would be a support to the traditional school career and a multidisciplinary link between scientific and humanistic subjects. It could be also useful to understand how make a right evaluation for ecosystem conditions and a good solution for environmental problems.
This educational project is supported by many public and private institutions as the Military Geographic Institute (IGM), Italian Association of Cartography (AIC), Federazione delle Associazioni Scientifiche per le Informazioni Territoriali ed Ambientali (ASITA), Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna.
Sponsored by the Environmental Italian Ministry, the project has been included in the triennial plan (1998-2000) by the National Agency for the Environmental Protection (ANPA) for the experimentation in teaching methodology of the territorial analysis instruments and GIS as technological support in education.
The aim of this research is the introduction of cartography, remote sensing and GIS inside the educational programmes as instruments for environmental, territorial and social surveys.
Annual training courses dedicated to the school teachers have been organized by CSSAS in Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Tuscany e Veneto Regions. Based on the information acquired during these courses, the teachers had shown the students how to read, interpret and use the cartographical and photographical material (maps, aerial and satellite images) applying GIS.
During the project development there have been planned files with three different vocational guidance:
- cartography, remote sensing and GIS;
- cartographical representation of urban settlements and population;
- reading of geographical landscape using aerial and satellite images.
The files have been realized thanks to the contribution of many experts and teachers with their scientific, pedagogic and technical competences.
The results of “Territory without boundaries” project are shown in the environmental learning experiences produced by the schools involved.

Keywords:

cartography, educational technology, environmental study, geographic information system (gis), remote.