This document summarizes a geography education project that used georeferenced images of Spain. The project aimed to teach students about geography, GIS software, and landscape sustainability. Students analyzed landscape images, identifying landscape units and commenting on environmental and socioeconomic factors. ArcGIS was used to locate images on maps and extract coordinate data. One image example from Alajar, Spain is presented, with a detailed 4-part comment analyzing landscape elements, deducing information, relating it to sustainability, and providing photograph metadata. The project was deemed useful for improving students' spatial skills and reflection on landscape sustainability.

1. Welcome #EUC11

2. Learning Geography through
georeferenced images of Spain
María Luisa de Lázaro y Torres (coord)
María Jesús González González; María del Carmen Minguez
García; Rosa Mecha López; María Teresa Palacios Estremera y
María Eulalia Ruiz Palomeque
Complutense University of Madrid & León University

3. Main topics
• Background
• Objetives
• Use of ArcGIS
• Project methodology
• Project development
• An example of image comment
• Conclusions

4. Background
• We present the results of a Complutense University
educational Project for Innovation and Improvement
of Teaching Quality (PIMCD 6/2010): “Enseñar
geografía a través del análisis de imágenes con la
ayuda del campus virtual y la pizarra digital
interactiva (PDI)” (Teaching geography through the
analysis of images with the help of the virtual
campus and the interactive whiteboard).
• It was carried out during the year 2010-2011. It deals
with landscape (natural, urban, rural, industrial…)
and its conservation in a sustainable development
frame.

5. The main objetives for students are:
• To work with ICT & GIT
• To become aware of the importance of the landscape
and its sustainable development in the context of
meaningful learning and the UN Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development (2005 – 2014).
• To understand landscape through the images taken
on a fieldtrip.
• To learn geographical references, the datum and how
to obtain them from Internet viewers or virtual
globes.

6. ArcGIS helped us to:
• Locate some representative original images from
different Spanish places.
• Put them on different subject maps in order to
recognize the utility of these images in different
geographical topics.
• The tool Make XY Event Layer (Management) has
been essential in this work. It allows us to make a
point layer based on x and y coordinates from a
source table. The layer created is temporary until the
document is saved.

7. Methodology

8. Elements for the image comments
The team reach a consensus on the image comment in four main steps:
1st Observation of landscape elements and units
• Quoting the landscape units from the picture (working
with observation).
• Appreciate different characteristics of the image:
physical, environmental, socioeconomical, dynamics and
problems in different scales.
• Any unit refers to a different and concrete space. Any
space is singular for the organization of its physical and
human facts.

9. Elements for the image comments
2nd Analysis and commentary
• It develop describing the landscape units from the
foreground to the background of the picture. An analytic
comment is made about any unit of the landscape. Just
describe what is clearly visible in the picture.
• In the end, some facts are deduced and / or other
documentation searched ...
• The explanation and deduction from the observations are
essential for learning about the landscape.

10. Elements for the image comments
3rd Relationship with sustainable economy, environment and society
• The state of balance or imbalance of the landscape taken
into account in the photograph.
• Environmental threats to it.
• Legislation that affects it.
With the same order as before but related to an
environmental perspective: first what is clearly visible in
the picture, then all that we can deduce and then the
environmental regulations that affect it.
We try to transmit a conservation perspective for
environment and cultural landscapes.

11. Elements for the image comments
4th Photograph information
• Place and date.
• Location of the point where the photograph was taken in
three different datum.
• Comment on author and photograph author.
It has been difficult to obtain the coordinates for the three
different datum, only SIGPAC viewer (Ministry for
Agriculture) provide this facility. We also managed Google
Earth and Iberpix viewer (National Geographical Institute).
The exact possition allows us to collect some information
about the place.

12. Comment images on their locations

13. Comment images on their biogeographical places

14. Alájar (Huelva) from Peña de Arias Montano

15. Alájar location

16. Alájar (Huelva) from Peña de Arias Montano
1st Observation of landscape elements and units
4
3
2
1

17. Alájar (Huelva) from Peña de Arias Montano
2nd Analysis and commentary (I)
• The whole settlement is located around the church
and spreads along the main roads, as is the norm in
medieval villages.
• The settlement is situated on a mid-sized mountain.
It is well cared for, there is no population loss,
although no growth can be observed either. It is an
indication of a certain moderate economic
dynamism.
• The predominant building typology is that of two-
story houses with a white façade (typical Andalusian)
and a pitched roof.

18. Alájar (Huelva) from Peña de Arias Montano
2nd Analysis and commentary (II)
• Abundant rainfall may be deduced from the
greenness of the environment. Behind the settlement
there appears a forest mass that is varied and
irregular: cork oaks, holm oaks, pines and even a
little olive grove could also be present.
• Behind the densely wooded area can be seen an area
of mixed pastures and trees following the dehesa
model, indicating the possible presence of livestock.
This latter activity, in view of the area, is especially
focused on Iberian pigs and the production of the
well-known and delicious ham, jamón de Jabugo.

19. Alájar (Huelva) from Peña de Arias Montano
3rd Relationship with sustainable economy and with society
• The fact that the whole landscape is hilly indicates
that this is a mountainous range area. The height of
the place where the photograph was taken is lower
than the background area, where settlements are
scattered in the middle of the mountain slopes.
• This is an area of great natural and landscape value.
• All of this is in perfect balance with the environment:
- It belongs to Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche
area, declared a Natural Park in July 1989.
- Alájar, together with Peña de Arias Montano, was
declared a historical and artistic complex in 1982 (Real
Decreto 23/36, BOE, 30 July 1982), which has been a
great boost for rural tourism, with intent on enjoying not
only the breathtaking landscapes but also natural
products (Iberian pig and chestnuts).

20. 4th Photograph information
• Place and date: Photo of Alájar (Huelva) taken from
Arias Montano rock (689 m), a “natural monument”
(April 2010)
• Location of the point where the photograph was
taken: Time Zone: UTM 29S
- ED50: 37º 52' 43,91" N and 6º 39' 57,47" W
- X coordinate: 705282; Y coordinate: 4195012
- WGS84: 37º 52' 39,42" N y 6º 40' 2,33" W
- X coordinate: 705156; Y coordinate: 4194801
- ETRS89: 37º 52' 39,43" N and 6º 40' 2,37" W
- X coordinate: 705155;Y coordinate: 4194803
• Author of the commentary: M.L. de Lázaro

21. Conclusions
The project has been very useful because:
• Students:
- Improve their spatial competences.
- Reflect about how important is sustainability for the
landscape.
- Understand the utility of a GIS.
• Teachers work together as a team making lessons
materials.
• It is possible to use for other places.

22. Thank You