Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica

Enrichment Activity

Protecting Cultural Heritage in Oceania Background

In 1972 the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) created the World Heritage List. Sites that are included on the list are considered to be of great natural or cultural value. Cultural sites include monuments, buildings, and other places with cultural or historical significance. Natural sites include physical, biological, and geological features, and areas with scientific or ecological value. By including sites on the list, UNESCO seeks to protect and preserve the sites for future generations.

Although Oceania has many cultural and natural treasures, it is the most underrepresented region on the World Heritage List. This means that its cultural and natural heritage is not being adequately recognized and protected. UNESCO has launched the Pacific 2009 Programme to address this problem. As part of this program, workshops have been held to identify cultural sites in Oceania that are especially significant or that are representative of important cultural themes in this region.

(iI For Investigation Conduct research to learn more about the World Heritage List and

the sites in Oceania that are potential candidates for this list. The List and related documents can be found on the Web site of the World Heritage Centre, http://whc.unesco.org. (Note: The World Heritage Centre refers to Oceania as the Pacific Sub-Region.) As you read, look for answers to the following questions:

1. Explaining How does the World Heritage program help protect cultural sites? .

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Name __________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

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2. Evaluating Why is Oceania underrepresented on the World Heritage List?

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3. Identifying What sites in Oceania are currently on the World Heritage List?

4. Listing What are the three main cultural"themes" that were identified at the September 2005 workshop held in Vanuatu? (The report from this workshop can be found at http: //whc.unesco.org / en / actions / 91 / .)

5. Categorizing What types of sites are associated with each of these cultural themes?

6. Identifying Name at least three examples of specific sites that were identified at the Vanuatu workshop as possible candidates for the World Heritage List. Include at least one example for each cultural theme.

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Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

Activity Choose one of the cultural sites in

Oceania that has been identified as a possible candidate for the World Heritage List. Conduct research to learn more about the site and why it is a candidate for the list. Using publish­ing tools, create a tri-fold brochure that describes the site and explains why it is culturally significant.

• To qualify for inclusion on the World Heritage List, sites must meet at least one of 10 criteria. Locate the selection criteria on the World Heritage Centre Web site. By which criteria does the site in your brochure qualify for the list? Add this information to the back panel of your brochure.

• Conduct research to learn more about one of the cultural themes identified at the Vanuatu workshop.

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Assessment Checklist Assess your brochure using the checklist below:

D Brochure is attractive, creative, and informative

D Design is well thought out, with ideas flowing logically from one panel to the next

D Grammar and writing mechanics are flawless

D Information about the site is accurate and interesting

D Brochure clearly explains why the site is culturally significant

Write a brief essay about this theme and what it reveals about the history and culture of the Pacific region.

• Working as a group with others in your class, locate each of the current and potential World Heritage sites in Oceania on a map of the region. Add symbols to the map to indicate the location of each site and whether the site is significant for cultural or natural reasons or both.

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