You are on page 1of 17

CONSERVATION

Is the Past important and should we preserve It?

Is the past important?


The past is important
It makes our lives richer It gives us a deeper understanding about the world around us It is interesting It is fun to investigate and explore It tells us about ourselves

Why should we preserve the past?


We will lose our monuments from pressures of the modern world Pollution will destroy famous sites Information about our past helps us to understand who we are We can learn from what happened in the past

How can we preserve our past?


During the 1960s people began to realise that if we continued destroying important historical monuments and sites we would lose evidence about our culture and past UNESCO held a conference in 1972 and an international agreement was adopted It was called the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage By 1997 over 145 countries had signed the Convention, now 178 countries belong

World Heritage Sites

To be listed as a World Heritage Site the place must have some outstanding universal value

Australia
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/au
Great Barrier Reef (1981) Kakadu National Park (1981, 1987, 1992) Willandra Lakes Region (1981) Lord Howe Island Group (1982) Tasmanian Wilderness (1982, 1989) Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia) (1986, 1994) 1 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (1987, 1994) 2 Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988) Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991) Fraser Island (1992) Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) (1994) Heard and McDonald Islands (1997) Macquarie Island (1997) Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000) Purnululu National Park (2003) Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004)

Selection criteria: to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius; to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design; to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared; to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history; to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

What Criteria are used?

to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria); to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance; to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features; to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals; to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

World Heritage Interactive Map


UNESCO have an interactive map so you can view their heritage listed sites http://whc.unesco.org/en/254/ You can also look at Google Earth http://whc.unesco.org/en/partnerships

Assessment Task
Conservation Research Assignment Due Date: Week Choose a cultural site on the World Heritage List Research it and answer the questions on your sheet. Present your information on a large poster Write this into your Homework Diary NOW

Questions to Answer
Where is the site? What is the history of the site?
How was it built? How have the uses of the site changed over time?

When was the site put onto the World Heritage List? Why is this site historically important?
Explain why it should be conserved for future generations

What criteria does the site meet so as to be included on the World Heritage List? How is it currently being conserved? You also need
A description of the site Recommendations on how the site could be better conserved Other relevant information relating to its importance or its conservation Research notes A Bibliography

Presentation of Research
Present your information to the class in an interesting and appropriate way (not your workbook)
PowerPoint or other digital presentation Talk to the class Information Booklet or sheets Some other form

A Poster promoting the conservation of your site CHECK THE MARKING CRITERIA!!!!

Sample Site 1: City of Verona


NOTES from UNESCO website http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/it
Verona is in the Veneto Region of Italy Latitude North 45 26 19, Longitude East 10 59 38 Verona was founded in the First Century BC and became important during the reign of the Scaligers in the 13th and 14th Centuries. It was part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to the 18th Centuries. It has been a military stronghold and is now an important tourist attraction. It was added to the list in 2000

The site is important because it has lots of monuments from antiquity, the medieval period and the Renaissance. It is also a very good example of a fortified city. We can learn about our past and how cities defended themselves from their enemies. Verona was selected for inclusion under Criterion ii because of its urban structure and the architecture of its buildings. It also developed without interruption for over 2,000 years. It has lots of excellent examples of art from each period. It was also selected under Criterion iv because it is an excellent example of a fortified city from a number of important periods in European history.

NOW START YOUR RESEARCH


Dont forget to make notes and keep a list of your sources any books, articles, websites that you use Plan your presentation, thinking about how you are going to tell others about your findings Design your poster as a draft and make sure it will get your message across

End of Presentation

You might also like