Try out three creative writing activities about the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.
Choose one of these three writing topics. In the first activity, students express the excitement of the Torch Relay through the genre of journalism. They write reasons for nominating potential Torchbearers in the second activity and, finally, put themselves ‘in the shoes’ of a Torchbearer and imagine their feelings as their ‘moment to shine’ approaches.
1. Get Set for the Torch Relay
In 1948, the Olympic Torch arrived at Dover late in the day on 28 July. An enthusiastic crowd of 50,000 people gathered to welcome its arrival and a five-mile-long caravan of traffic followed the start of its overnight journey towards Wembley.
Interviews with 1948 Torchbearers reveal their enthusiasm as they carried the Flame through crowds of people lining the route.
Ask the students to imagine the scene in London 1948 as the Torch Relay reached its conclusion at a packed Wembley Stadium.
In 2012, 8000 torchbearers will carry the Flame around Britain over a 70 day period.
Talk about the differences between Britain in 1948 at the time of the so-called ‘Austerity Games’ and the forthcoming Olympic Games of 2012. Although much has changed over the years, the excitement and enthusiasm generated by the Torch Relay will be similar.
The activity is to write two newspaper reports about the Torch Relay, the first to be set in 1948 and the second in 2012.
The students’ accounts should have a suitable headline (such as, ‘1948 Torch Relay on a shoestring’) and convey the excitement of the communities as the Flame passes through on its journey to London. Encourage them to include details about the era which reveal the similarities and differences of the two London Games.
2. Torchbearers… pass it on…
- Talk to the students about why people have been nominated as Torchbearers. You could watch the short video ‘Who will you nominate for their moment to shine?’
Although nominations are now closed, the video gives a good idea of the reasons people had for making them.
Ask the students to work in groups of three and to each think of someone they know who they believe could be a worthy candidate to carry the Flame, and to write a short paragraph in which they give their reasons. Once this is completed, they fold over their paper and pass it on to the next person in the group. Now ask them to write another paragraph about another potential Torchbearer. They should repeat the process once more, so that each group of three has identified nine people whom they respect enough to consider them worthy of carrying the Flame. Ask them to share their writing with the group and to identify any similar personal qualities and values shown by the nominees, for example courage, generosity, determination etc.
3. In their shoes
In this activity the students put themselves ‘in the shoes’ of a Torchbearer in the few minutes up to the time that the Flame will be passed on to them. Ask them to write a short account in which they describe their feelings as they anticipate their ‘moment’. How do they experience this moment through all their senses? What do they see, hear, touch and smell? Does their heart rate increase, are they hot or cold, and is their breathing soft or shallow?
