Geography Teaching Today

This lesson considers the Games on a personal scale; the use of images of young people, from around the world, being inspired by sport in the vision that secured London’s bid for the 2012 games. Students think about the spaces in which they currently do physical activity and whether the Games is important to them and other young people in the UK.

Key questions:

• Why did London win the bid to host the Olympics in 2012?
• How much sport do we do and where do we do it?
• Will young people benefit from the Games as the vision suggests?

Key Concepts:
Space
Scale

Why did London win the bid to host the Olympics in 2012?
On 6 July 2005 the London 2012 delegation travelled to Singapore to make their final presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This included 30 young people from east London. One of the reasons London won the Olympic bid was owing to this focus on young people, from around the world being inspired by Olympic sport to do sport and the positive effect that this would have on peoples’ futures around the globe. Lord Coe said that the purpose of the Games is to “inspire young people” and that “London’s multi-cultural mix of 200 nations represent the youth of the world” 

How much sport do we do and where do we do it?
In the most official recent survey it was found that increasingly fewer and fewer young people are interested in playing sport or getting involved in other physical activities and levels of childhood obesity are on the rise. It is hoped that the Olympics will encourage everyone to challenge themselves to do more sport. In fact the ethos of the Games is being used to encourage people to set any challenge to achieve something by 2012, not just sport. www.challenge.london2012.com

Will young people benefit from the Games as the vision suggests?
Rising costs (VAT bill, security and contingency funding) have resulted in the Games cost projections reaching £9.3bn. £675m worth of funding has been allocated from the National Lottery. Some people have argued that this may result in other ‘good causes' losing out on funding in the run up to 2012 including, Sport England.

The 2012 Games may inspire young people to get more involved in sport and physical activities and some of them may well be competitors at the Games themselves. For example, London 2012 has recently launched a search for young peple who because of their height may have the potential, with training, to become rowers for the 2012 Games. However, not everyone can compete in the Games and if raised participation in sport is to be sustained most young people will also need accessible local sporting facilities. How well are the young people provided for in terms of sporting facilities in your local area?

Click on an activity:
Starter
Main activity
Plenary 

Downloads:
A questionnaire of sport

What's the games got to do with me?