2012 Olympic Games

and Paralympic Games

Getting involved in the London 2012 Games.
Your imagination. Be inspired.

Secondary
Ready to join in
the fun?
In 2012, London will host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games for the first time
since 1948 – an incredible 64 years ago. The Games will be an amazing festival of sport
and culture: a breathtaking event that the whole nation can get excited about.
The London 2012 Games will change everyone’s There are plenty of ways for you to get involved.
lives in all sorts of ways. That’s why we want you to The Department for Children, Schools and
be involved from the start. More importantly, you Families has worked with partners to create more
will learn about the Olympic and Paralympic Values opportunities for you – and still is. Read on to find
and how these can change your life. out more.

Did you know…?

There are Values for the Olympic Games and the
Paralympic Games.

Values of the Values of the

Olympic Games Paralympic Games
• EXCELLENCE • DETERMINATION
• FRIENDSHIP • INSPIRATION
• RESPECT • COURAGE
• EQUALITY

Get Set – get involved

To get involved in the excitement of the Games, you can check out the Get Set
website: http://getset.london2012.com
Get Set is the official London 2012 education programme for schools like
yours. On the website, you’ll find lots of exciting interactive games, fact sheets,
films and much more, to get you thinking about the Values of the Olympic
Games and Paralympic Games.
Register with Get Set and log on to the website to get started. You’ll get a
newsletter every month telling you what’s new and giving you the chance to
take part in competitions and prize draws.
What will the Olympic Games
and Paralympic Games be like?
You will get to see the very best athletes in the world: the fastest runners, the
highest jumpers and the strongest swimmers. People from all across the globe
will be competing alongside each other.
But you may be surprised to know it’s not just Tourism all over the country will grow as visitors
about world-class athletes. The Games will have come to watch the events from across the world.
a lasting effect on the UK, in many unexpected This will help to boost the economy. Lots of people
ways. For example, the area of East London where will find jobs in the hotel and transport industries
the main games are to be held will be completely supporting the sporting and cultural events. Many
rebuilt and renewed. more people will be needed in areas like building,
engineering, interpreting different languages,
sports coaching and sports science.

Did you know…?

• The London Paralympic Games begin on 29th August 2012, when
athletes with a disability will complete in 20 different sports. This is just
over a month after the start of the 2012 Olympic Games which begin
on the 27th July 2012.
• ‘Paralympic’ comes from the Greek word ‘para’ which means ‘beside’.
The name means a competition held in parallel to the Olympic Games.
• There will be 20 sports in the 2012 Paralympic Games.
• In 1964 the first official Paralympic Games were held, just after the
Olympic Games. By 1984, more than 1,000 athletes from 41 countries
were competing in sports.

A short history of the Paralympic Games

In 1944, the doctor, Sir Ludwig Guttman, was working with war veterans with
spinal injuries when he started to think about using sport as part of their
recovery from serious injury.
So, at the same time as the London Olympic Games in 1948, he organised the
first wheelchair Games in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Buckinghamshire. Four
years later international competitors started to come to the event and interest
grew and grew.
Now, the Paralympic Games always happen in the same year as the Olympic
Games, but it is only since 1988 that they have also used the same venues,
stadiums and other facilities.
Find out more about the Paralympic Games: http://getset.london2012.com
Global Games: reaching
out to the world.
The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is a global celebration of sport and culture.
And London 2012 is a great opportunity for children and young people across the
world to work together and share experiences of different ways of living and learning.
Would you like to make contact with children in Sports Zone
other countries to learn about them and their Your school can use this free service to link up with
communities? Talk to your teacher about finding children from a school in another country – one
an international partner for your school. that has already hosted the Olympic Games and
Here are some helpful websites and links that will Paralympic Games.
open up a world of possibilities linked to 2012: www.globalgateway.org/2012
Global Gateway DCSF International School Award
Get some great ideas on working with children in This scheme recognises schools that are working to
other schools. Talk and learn more about different build a global dimension into their curriculum.
cultures, identity, diversity and ways to bring
communities together. www.globalgateway.org/ISA

www.globalgateway.org Welcome the World

This campaign aims to celebrate different
Global Dimension languages. Pledge your support as a class – or as an
Find out about a wide range of fun material – like entire school.
fact sheets, pictures and video clips – to help you
learn about everything from climate change and Just visit: www.cilt.org.uk/pledge2012
water to poverty and fair trade.
www.globaldimension.org.uk

Quiz answers
Part 1 1. 1948 2. 1964 3. Excellence, Friendship, Respect, Determination, Inspiration,
Courage and Equality 4. Sir Ludwig Guttman 5. 20

Part 2 1. Eat well and exercise regularly 2. Tourism all over the country will grow as
visitors come to watch the events from all over the world. 3. (a)Join the programme
- Who do we think we are? This is designed to help you think about diversity, identity
and citizenship (b) Join the Pod - website full of ideas and activities especially
designed to help you cut down the energy and water you use at school, college and
at home. (c) Get your teacher involved - www.abilityvsability.co.uk 4. Art, Music, Film
and Theatre 5. Many more people will be needed in areas like building, engineering,
interpreting different languages, sports coaching and sports science.
Live Active. Be Healthy.

Sporting heroes can be an inspiration to us all. They eat healthily and stay fit
– which is something that we all need to do, whoever we are and whatever we do.

As well as improving access to sports and activities British Heart Foundation

as part of 2012, the Government wants to make The BHF’s interactive site for gives healthy eating
sure that schools encourage healthy living, offer and exercise advice, and tells you all about the
nutritious lunches and benefit from more money dangers of smoking. Includes animations, games
being put into making playgrounds and sports and recipes.
facilities better.
www.bhf.org.uk/cbhf
For more information about living a healthy
lifestyle at school and at home, take a look at Live Well
the following websites: An NHS campaign where heroes of the Olympic
Games and Paralympic Games help inspire people
School Food Trust of all ages and abilities to get active.
The Trust gives advice to schools about how to
improve your school dinners and snacks. www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/olympics/Pages/
Olympicshome.aspx
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk
National Healthy Schools Programme
By following a whole-school approach to physical
and emotional well being, schools can work
towards National Healthy School Status.
www.healthyschools.gov.uk
School Sport.

The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will bring the world’s best
athletes to the UK. We want their skill and dedication to help inspire you to get active
and improve your fitness and health. In the run-up to 2012, we’re working with
partners such as the Youth Sport Trust to provide more opportunities for young
people like you to take part. Check out:
UK School Games Parasport
This is a showcase for the country’s most talented A new organisation, backed by the British
young able-bodied and disabled athletes at Paralympic Association, that aims to transform
schools and colleges. the experience of disabled people playing sport.
After the success of the UK School Games 2008 www.parasport.org.uk
in Bristol and Bath – featuring sports such as
athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, Youth Sport Trust
judo, swimming, table tennis and volleyball – The ‘Inspire’ website contains ideas aimed at
the organisers have announced the dates of next helping young people, parents, volunteers and
year’s event. teachers to do more with PE and sport.
The event will take place in South Wales from www.youthsporttrust.org/inspire
3rd-6th September 2009. Venues for each of the Sporting Champions
sports competition will be announced this year,
so please visit the website below for updates. A Sport England initiative that brings world-class
athletes face-to-face with young people, to inspire
http://www.ukschoolgames.com/home.php and motivate them to take part in sport.
Young Ambassadors www.sportingchampions.org.uk
The Young Ambassador (YA) programme is for We want the Games to be exciting for all young
16-17 year olds, who are specially selected by people, not just in 2012 but right now. So why not
their schools to promote sport, physical education join in and celebrate the Games with us? We hope
and healthy living to build on the excitement of you will join in however you can, and take part in
the London 2012 Games, as well as champion the the activities mentioned in this leaflet – even if you
Olympic and Paralympic Values. have never done anything like it before.
For more information about the YA programme National Talent Orientation Camp
contact either your PE Co-ordinator at school or
visit the following website For young athletes to find out what it takes to
compete at the highest level.
www.youthsporttrust.org
www.youthsporttrust.org
Cultural Olympiad
— be inspired by culture.
The London 2012 Games are not just about sport. In the four years leading up to
London 2012, the Cultural Olympiad – celebrating art, music, film and theatre — will
take centre-stage with a series of inspiring events designed to encourage you and
your classmates to showcase your talents.

There will be plenty of opportunities for you to Discovering Places

take part as the programme of events unfolds. Building on the London-based Open House
Here are just a few: programme to introduce you to the hidden places
Artists Taking the Lead and secret spaces of the UK.
A chance for you to work with artists and the local Stories of the World
community to create a major piece of artwork in Celebrating the collections in museums around
your region. the UK and displaying them in new ways and in
Film Nation unexpected venues.
Helping you to make and deliver your own stories For details of these and much more to do with the
through digital media. 2012 Cultural Olympiad, visit: www.london2012.
com/get-involved/cultural-olympiad
Other ways to get involved.

We want to use the power of the London 2012 Games to help you increase your
understanding of the people around you and by making a postive contribution to
your environment and community.

We’re supporting a number of projects that aim Teaching support

to encourage you to develop new knowledge and Here’s some more information linked to the
skills that will help you to play a more positive role Olympic Games and Paralympic Games that your
in your school, at home, in your community and teachers may find useful in the classroom:
with a more global outlook. For more, take a look at:
English, PE, PSHE, Citizenship
Who Do We Think We Are? Links to these subjects, and to the Every Child
The London 2012 Games is one of the themes of Matters and Children First agendas, can be found
the Who Do We Think We Are? programme. in Ability vs. Ability, a schools pack produced by
The programme helps you to think about diversity, the British Paralympics Association for 9 to
identity and citizenship. Find a range of resources 16 year olds.
and get started by logging on to: www.wdwtwa. www.abilityvsability.co.uk
org.uk/youngpeople
The Pod
Sustainability and regeneration will be at the heart
of the London 2012 Games. We hope to use the
power of the Games to highlight major global
issues such as climate change.
EDF Energy, a partner of London 2012, has
launched a website called the Pod. It’s full of
ideas and activities especially designed to help
you cut down the energy and water you use at
school, college and at home.
Join the Pod today at: www.jointhepod.org/
The ultimate Games quiz.
So, you’ve read the facts. Now it’s time to test your knowledge…

PART ONE
Quick fire questions
You’ll need: a stopwatch
The aim is simple – answer the questions as quickly as possible. To make it more interesting, time you
and your friends with a stopwatch. The winner is the person to answer the most questions correctly,
in the fastest time.
1. When was the last time London hosted the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games?
2. In what year was the first official Paralympic Games held?
3. Can you name the seven Olympic Games and Paralympic Games values?
4. What was the name of the doctor who arranged the first wheelchair games in
Stoke Mandeville hospital?
5. How many different sports will feature in the 2012 Paralympic Games?
TIP: If you get really stuck, you can find the answers by flicking back through this guide.
But remember the timer…

Excellence
Friendship
Respect
PART TWO
Up for discussion
This is a chance for you and your classmates to test your memory! Score a point for every correct answer
you come up with – and remember, each question has more than one. The winner is the person with the
most points at the end of the round. Good luck!
1. What do athletes need to do to stay fit and healthy?
2. How will the Games help boost the UK economy?
3. Name ways you can get involved in the London 2012 Games.
4. What will the 2012 Cultural Olympiad celebrate?
5. What kind of jobs will be created by the sporting and cultural events in 2012?

If you want to know more about the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games visit:
http://getset.london2012.com

Determination
Inspiration
Courage
Equality
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