Abstract:

This project is a result of an interdisciplinary commitment of History and Geography teachers at Paula Frassinetti School of Education, Oporto, Portugal. It was implemented with students of the Master in Teaching 1st and 2nd cycle of basic education. The implemented webgis tool aims to provide basic education teachers with a digital map tool to facilitate understanding the routes and location of the main battles of peninsular war in Portugal. The authors envisaged to distribute a tool that motivates students to history learning and, at the same time, encourages thinking geographically. Likewise the tool promotes the interdisciplinary perspective showing how geography was important in some endings battles. Locating the battles in space students can investigate the chosen places by French troops to invade Portugal during XIX century, the regional geography, the rivers influence on chosen routes and the mountains importance as natural barriers. The map was launched at the end of 2013 and still being updated by new students, namely by large scale research of each battle. The objective was acquired since the map was awarded with the prize of best map on ArcGis Online by ESRI Portugal. Similarly schools and teachers have recognized the importance of the project since it promotes History and Geography interdisciplinary teaching and learning, geographic thinking, GIS competencies and students motivation.

Keywords:

Digital map, Story map, Teaching and Learning, Geography/History, Interdisciplinary, Peninsular War.