Understanding Emotions
Class 7 · Arts
3 ideas in Class 7 Arts, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Bhava, Rasa and Emotional Intensity
Part of: Understanding feelings
Bhava is a person's inner attitude or state of mind. Rasa is the feeling a situation creates. A feeling can also have different strengths: a small surprise and a very strong surprise are not equally intense.
Why it matters. These ideas help children notice that feelings have shades and that different people may respond differently to the same event. In theatre, this helps a performer choose how strongly to show a feeling.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask your child to remember a time they felt surprised. What happened just before that feeling?
- Invite them to show a mild surprise and then a stronger surprise with face, posture or voice.
- Ask what changed in the expression and remind them that people may show the same feeling differently.
Try at home. Choose a feeling such as joy and describe three situations that could bring it about with different strengths.
Emotion and Story in Sculpture
Part of: Understanding feelings
A sculpture can show a feeling through a figure's pose, face and action. Sculptures on historic buildings can also preserve stories and give clues about the people and period connected with that place.
Why it matters. Looking closely at sculpture helps children connect art with emotion, storytelling and history. It also encourages them to notice how artists use details to communicate an idea.
Try it in two minutes
- Look at a sculpture or a picture of one together.
- Notice the figure's pose and face. Ask what feeling these details suggest.
- Ask what story or idea the sculpture might be sharing and what clues support the guess.
Try at home. Find a sculpture in a public place or book and describe one detail that suggests a feeling.
Lokadharmi and Natyadharmi Acting
Part of: Acting styles and heritage
Lokadharmi acting resembles everyday life: gestures and speech feel natural. Natyadharmi acting is deliberately theatrical, using larger movements, vivid presentation or stronger expressions so the audience can notice an idea clearly.
Why it matters. Recognising these styles helps children understand why two performers may show a similar action in very different ways. A style can be chosen to fit the story and the effect the performance needs.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask your child to mime picking up a cup in an everyday way.
- Ask them to repeat the action with a much larger gesture for a distant audience.
- Discuss which version felt closer to daily life and which felt more theatrical.
Try at home. Watch a short family-friendly performance and notice one natural gesture and one deliberately enlarged gesture.
What your child will practise
- Bhava, Rasa and Emotional Intensity: Desert Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Bhava, Rasa and Emotional Intensity: Mission Control Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Bhava, Rasa and Emotional Intensity: Ocean Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Emotion and Story in Sculpture: Jungle Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Lokadharmi and Natyadharmi Acting: Explorer'S Map Sort (Sort It Out)
- Quiz: Bhava, Rasa and Emotional Intensity (8 questions)
- Quiz: Emotion and Story in Sculpture (8 questions)
- Quiz: Lokadharmi and Natyadharmi Acting (8 questions)