Here you find the general criteria for World Heritage Sites.

Please suggest a local building, natural scene  to the UNESCO and explain why you have chosen it!

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.

 

Selection criteria

(i)

to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

(ii)

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;

(iii)

to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

(iv)

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;

(v)

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;

(vi)

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);

(vii)

to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

(viii)

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;

(ix)

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;

(x)

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site, on 10.10.2017

 

Didactic comment:

Our aim was to get to know the UNESCO criteria for World Heriage sites and apply them to local cultural sites. We wanted to become aware of the regional diversity and richness we are surrounded by.

Our pupils

• worked in groups
• studied the criteria for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site
• put their knowledge to the test by playing a quiz about these criteria
• agreed on one proposal for UNESCO world Heritage site (in their national groups)
• researched the internet for information on their local building, tradition etc
• created a presentation about their local World Heritage site
• reflected whether their proposal fulfilled the UNESCO criteria and whether their proposal had chances to be accepted in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites