All Class Four Art, Sports and Culture Topics
Class Four Art, Sports and Culture notes for primary schools in Tanzania. Topic 1, Acting, is free to read below: body movements, emotions and voice projection, with exercises and end-of-topic questions. The other six topics are available in the Click Online Academy app.
- Topic 1ActingRead below · Free
- Topic 2Singing and Musical InstrumentsContinue in the app
- Topic 3DrawingContinue in the app
- Topic 4Clay ModellingContinue in the app
- Topic 5Body ExercisesContinue in the app
- Topic 6Modern and Traditional GamesContinue in the app
- Topic 7Exhibitions of Art and Sports CompetitionContinue in the app
Chapter One: Acting
Culture, Sports and Art – Class Four
Performing Arts
🎭 Introduction
Acting is one of the elements in the performing arts that conveys messages to society using words and actions. In this chapter, you will learn how to practise body movements, emotions, and sounds to act out living and non-living things.
- Perform various plays to educate and entertain the community
- Act skilfully and confidently
🔑 Key Terms and Concepts
Let us first understand the important words used in this chapter:
Acting is the art of performing a role or character in a play using words, body movements, emotions and voice to tell a story or send a message to the audience.
A person who acts or performs a role in a play, film or stage performance.
The way an actor uses his or her body (without words) to convey messages. It includes mime, gestures, postures and facial expressions.
Feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, love or jealousy that an actor shows through face, body and voice.
The practice of producing and controlling sound so that the audience can hear the actor clearly, depending on the size of the stage and distance.
Acting without speaking, using only body movements and facial expressions to tell a story.
Objects and clothes used by actors to make their characters look real.
Using real feelings from one’s own life experiences to make acting more real and believable.
📝 Quick Revision 1 – Key Terms
1. What is acting?
2. What is body language in acting?
🤸 Body Movement Practices in Acting
Acting practices include the preparation of various physical and mental techniques. An actor prepares himself or herself to develop and understand the behaviour and feelings of the character he or she has to assume in a play. This makes the acting even better.
Acting practices include:
- Body movements
- Acting various emotions
- Voice projection
What are body movements?
Body movements in acting are the way an actor uses his or her body to convey messages without words. They are also called body language. Body movements include mime, gestures, postures and facial expressions. Examples are walking, standing or dancing.
An actor can use body movements to express emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear or confidence.
Examples of body movements in acting
When an actor stands upright with the chest forward, he or she may be showing confidence, authority, power or courage.
When the character turns down his or her face or eyes, it shows feelings of anxiety, fear, shame, guilt or weakness.
These movements show that the character is defensive, not ready to talk, or has feelings of doubt. They can also indicate anger or harshness.
This shows anxiety, fear or hurry. The character may have many things on his or her mind or is trying to run away from a situation.
This can show acceptance or agreement with another person’s idea or suggestion.
Wide or fixed eyes can show surprise, fear or disbelief.
These movements can indicate sadness, shock, worry or great suffering.
This shows lack of concern, acceptance of failure, doubt or surrender.
📝 Quick Revision 2 – Body Movements
1. What does standing upright with chest forward usually show?
2. What feeling can folding arms on the chest show?
3. How can an actor show sadness without speaking?
🐘 Using Body Movements to Act Living and Non-living Things
Body movements can be used to imitate the behaviour, motions and emotions of living and non-living things through the actor’s body.
Steps to follow when imitating:
- Observe the behaviour of the character (how it walks, sits, eats or defends itself). You can use ICT to find videos or pictures.
- Understand the body of the character (number of legs, wings, weight – heavy or light).
- Imitate the movements carefully – the way it walks, uses sound or stays silent.
- Use body language to show emotions (fear, happiness, anger). Eyes and face are very important.
- Practise regularly until the movements become easy and natural.
- Use props and costumes to make the character look more real.
Examples of acting living things
Stand with arms unfolded like an elephant’s trunk, bend forward, then rise and use the “trunk” to do different activities.
Squat and jump from one place to another like a frog.
Raise your arms high like a giraffe’s neck and walk majestically.
Squat down like a seed, then slowly unfold and stand up like a flower blooming.
Examples of acting non-living things
Hold hands in front as if holding handlebars. Bend knees slightly and move feet as if pedalling. Lean forward and turn body side to side.
Hold hands as if on a steering wheel. Turn the “wheel”. Use one foot for the gas pedal and the other for the brake.
Hold handlebars, kick as if starting the engine, turn the handlebars and lean slightly forward while moving.
Hold hands as if holding a stone, put it down and use a leg to push or roll it from one point to another.
Other things you can imitate
- River – Walk slowly while swaying hands like water waves.
- Wind – Stand upright and move arms left and right.
- Rain – Stretch out arms and use fingers and palms to imitate falling raindrops.
📝 Quick Revision 3 – Living & Non-living
1. Mention two steps you should follow when acting animal movements.
2. How can you act like a frog?
⭐ Importance of Body Movements in Acting
Body movements are very important in acting because they help the actor to:
- (a) Express inner emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger or anxiety that cannot be shown directly through words. Example: holding the cheek can express sadness even without words.
- (b) Add reality to acting. When the actor uses correct body movements, the audience can believe and understand the performance better.
- (c) Communicate with the audience, especially when there are no spoken words.
- (d) Indicate future actions or give clues about what is about to happen. Example: taking a step back can show fear or preparation.
📝 Quick Revision 4 – Importance
1. Give two benefits of practising body movements in acting.
😊 Emotional Practices in Acting
Emotional practices are exercises that help the actor understand, explore and manage various emotions effectively in acting. Emotions play a major role in conveying the behaviour and situations of characters in plays.
Examples of emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, shame, hate, love and jealousy.
Emotional memory
An actor can use emotional memories from events in his or her own life. This helps to arouse the emotions required when acting a certain character. This technique brings reality into the performance.
Practices of laughing or crying
These practices help an actor to arouse and manage emotions effectively. Laughing and crying are normal emotions, but they can be challenging to portray realistically. An actor can practise laughing or crying in a low or high voice.
Figure 1: A – An actor practising how to cry B – An actor practising how to laugh
📝 Quick Revision 5 – Emotions
1. What can you do to show that you are sad without saying anything?
2. How can you show anger without raising your voice?
🗣️ Voice Projection Practices in Acting
Voice is one of the most important tools in acting. Voice projection is the practice of producing and controlling sound to ensure it can be heard clearly by the audience, depending on the context.
Using voice effectively helps the audience understand the performance. Voice practices can be fun and interesting.
Inhaling and exhaling practices
These practices help the actor control breath properly. This produces a powerful voice and improves acting on stage. There are various practices such as deep breathing and rapid breathing.
Speaking at a distance practices
This is very important because it helps the actor change his or her voice according to the size of the stage and the distance between the actor and the audience.
Figure 2: An actor practising speaking at a distance
📝 Quick Revision 6 – Voice
1. Why is it important to have a strong and clear voice when performing?
2. How can you use voice to show you are an angry person in a play?
📋 Original Exercises from the Notes
Exercise 1
1. Identify the benefits of practising body movements in acting.
2. Mention some steps you will follow when acting out various animal movements.
Exercise 2
1. What can you do to show that you are sad without saying anything?
2. Explain how you can show anger without raising your voice in acting.
Exercise 3
1. Why is it important to have a strong and clear voice when performing?
2. Explain how to use voice to show emotions if you are playing the role of an angry person.
📚 End of Topic Questions
Answer the following questions. Click the button to see the suggested answer after you try!
Part A: Multiple Choice Questions (10)
1. Acting mainly uses which of the following to convey messages?
2. Body movements in acting are also called:
3. Standing upright with chest forward usually shows:
4. Folding the arms on the chest can show that the character is:
5. Which of these is a good way to act like a frog?
6. Emotional memory means:
7. Voice projection helps the actor to:
8. Holding the head with both hands often shows:
9. One importance of body movements is to:
10. Practising deep breathing helps an actor to:
Part B: Short Answer Questions
1. Define acting in your own words.
2. List four examples of body movements used in acting and what each can mean.
3. Explain three steps you would follow to act like an animal.
4. Why are body movements important in acting? Give three reasons.
5. How can an actor use emotional memory?
6. Describe how you would act the movement of a bicycle and a river.
✅ Suggested Answers Summary
MCQ Answers: 1B, 2C, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10A
Full short answers are available by clicking the buttons above each question.
🎉 Well done!
You have finished Chapter One: Acting. Keep practising body movements, emotions and voice every day. Acting is fun and helps us educate and entertain others!
Ready for Topic 2: Singing and Musical Instruments?
Continue Class Four Art, Sports and Culture in the Click Online Academy app, with all seven topics in your pocket.
Click here to continue learning on our app