Grade 7 Creative Arts & Sports Study Notes

A. Categories of Creative Arts and Sports (continued)

To identify a category, use a digital device to search and watch videos of Creative Arts and Sports activities, then look for each category's distinguishing features — the qualities that set it apart.

After watching, group what you observed into a chart like this:

A. Categories of Creative Arts and Sports (continued)

Styles and Techniques in Visual Arts

A style is the distinctive way an artist expresses their ideas. A technique is the practical method used to make the artwork.

Welcome to Creative Arts and Sports

Creative Arts and Sports brings together four areas of human expression — things you make, things you perform, things you play, and stories you tell. They are studied together because they connect deeply.

Strand 1.0 — Foundations lays the groundwork. Sub-strand 1.1 covers three sections:

• A. Categories — the four groups
• B. Relationships — how the groups connect
• C. Making a Collage — a practical Visual Arts project

A. Categories of Creative Arts and Sports

Creative Arts and Sports is organised into four main categories.

Every activity in this subject belongs to one of these four categories. The illustration below shows all four happening in one school event — identify each area before reading on.

Games Played in Sports

• Football — two teams compete to score goals using their feet
• Basketball — players score by throwing a ball through a raised hoop
• Swimming — competitors race through water using body strokes
• Athletics — individual events: running, jumping and throwing
• Rock Climbing — ascending a rock face using physical strength and technique
• Chess — two players move pieces on a board, each trying to trap the other's king

Visual Arts

Visual Arts includes activities like painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. These activities help us express emotions, tell stories and capture the beauty around us.

The main product is something you can see or touch — a painted canvas, a clay figure, a sketch, a photograph.

Instruments and Styles of Dance in Music and Dance

Music and Dance uses a wide range of instruments. Each instrument produces a different type of sound and is used in different styles of performance.

Dance styles include: traditional folk dance, ballet, hip-hop and contemporary dance — each with its own rhythm, footwork and cultural meaning.

Elements of Story in Theatre (Drama) and Film

Every story in Theatre and Film is built on four key elements of story:

Music and Dance

Music and Dance involves playing instruments, singing and moving to rhythms. These activities are great for expressing feelings, telling stories and staying active.

The experience is delivered through sound and movement.

Theatre (Drama) and Film

Theatre (Drama) and Film includes acting, storytelling and movie-making. These activities help develop creativity, teamwork and communication skills.

Performers take on characters and tell stories — live on a stage or recorded on camera.

Sports

Sports includes activities like Football, Basketball, Swimming and Athletics — physical activities that test physical and mental skills.

Sports has four types:

• Team sports — players work together. Examples: Football, Basketball.
• Individual sports — one person competes alone. Examples: Swimming, Running.
• Adventure sports — test bravery and physical challenge. Example: Rock Climbing.
• Mind sports — test thinking and strategy. Example: Chess.

B. The Relationships Among the Categories of Creative Arts and Sports

The four categories are connected through five shared relationships:

1. Express emotions, tell stories and engage people — all categories help us understand the world and ourselves.
2. Connect people across cultures, languages and generations — a dance, a match, a painting or a play crosses age and language barriers.
3. Preserve history and traditions — music, dance, theatre and visual arts carry cultural stories across generations. Indigenous games in Sports keep heritage alive.
4. Promote citizenship — these activities unite people and foster shared identity.
5. Provide employment — artists, musicians, referees, coaches, film directors and more earn a living through Creative Arts and Sports.

B. The Relationships Among the Categories (continued)

Reading and Discussing

Read the story, then study the analysis below.

Kelly is a famous actress known for her amazing performance on stage. During her shows, she does not just act but also sings. To make her look even more beautiful, Kelly works with a talented tailor who designs beautiful outfits to match the mood of her performance. Kelly also wears bracelets, earrings, necklaces and sometimes body paints. Together, they create a show that blends acting, music and art.

How Categories Overlap in Real Life

The book gives a clear example: performers doing a folk dance are performing Music and Dance. At the same time they wear beaded jewellery crafted using Visual Arts skills. One event — two categories working together.

Identifying the Relationships

Relationships shown:

• Visual Arts (costumes, jewellery, body paint) supports Theatre and Film (the acting performance).
• Music and Dance (singing) overlaps with Theatre and Film (acting) in the same show.
• Three categories work together in one performance.

Why Understanding Relationships Matters

• Deeper appreciation — you notice each category's contribution, not just the one in the spotlight.
• Better collaboration — you understand your role when categories work together at an event.
• More powerful creating — knowing categories blend helps you combine skills in your own work.

Creating the Collage Chart

Your collage will be a chart — a poster board divided into four sections, one for each Creative Arts and Sports category, filled with gathered images and textured materials.

Materials needed: Large poster board or cardboard · Glue · Scissors · Magazines · Newspapers · Fabric scraps · Buttons · Yarn · Any other material

Displaying the Art in the Classroom

Once your collage is dry, display it for your classmates. Be ready to talk about:

• a) The materials used — what did you include and why?
• b) The arrangement of pictures — how did you group the four categories?
• c) Layout — how did you use the space on the board?

When you see many collages together, you notice that no two look the same — Creative Arts allows each learner to express themselves differently.

C. Making a Collage

Discussing a Collage

A collage is a type of art where you stick different textured materials together, overlapping them to make a new picture.

Three features define a collage:

• Mixed materials — more than one type of material in the same artwork
• Overlapping — pieces layered on top of each other, not placed flat and separate
• A new picture — the combined materials create something new

Materials Used to Create a Collage

How to Do It

1. Gather your materials. Look for images related to Creative Arts (painting, music, dance) and Sports (Football, Basketball, Swimming). Cut pictures from magazines and newspapers. Collect fabric scraps, buttons and yarn.
2. Lay out your poster board on a flat surface. Plan how to divide it into four sections — one per category.
3. Cut out the images and materials you have collected.
4. Arrange on the board by category. Group images and materials — a section for each of the four categories.
5. Creatively paste the images and materials. Overlap some areas to add depth and visual interest.
6. Add colour if needed. Paint parts of the collage or add colour with markers. (This step is optional.)
7. Let your collage dry completely. Then show it to your classmates.

Creative arrangement tips:

• Vary textures — include at least one fabric scrap, some yarn or a button.
• Overlap deliberately in at least three places to create visible layers.
• Use the whole board — avoid clustering everything in the centre.

Giving Positive Feedback

After viewing each other's collages, give feedback using polite comments. Feedback that is vague or unkind does not help the creator improve. Good feedback is:

• Specific — names exactly what it is reacting to
• Polite — uses respectful language
• Constructive — if pointing to something to improve, also suggests how

Example: "I like how you overlapped the fabric and magazine images — it creates interesting texture in the Sports section."

Reflecting on Positive Aspects of Your Collage

After the display, reflect on your own work. Reflection means thinking carefully and honestly about what you did.

Write down:

1. Two things you like about your collage — be specific about what works and why.
2. Two specific areas that could be improved — and how you would improve them.

Reflection is a habit shared by all creative people — artists, athletes, musicians and actors reflect to get better.

Key Points — Sub-Strand 1.1

• Creative Arts and Sports has four categories: Visual Arts, Music and Dance, Theatre (Drama) and Film, and Sports.
• Visual Arts — painting, drawing, sculpture, photography. Product is something you see or touch.
• Music and Dance — instruments, singing, rhythmic movement. Delivered through sound and movement.
• Theatre and Film — acting, storytelling, movie-making. Performers take on characters and tell stories.
• Sports — team, individual, adventure and mind. Physical or mental competition under rules.
• All four categories share five relationships: express emotions, connect people, preserve history, promote citizenship, create employment.
• Categories overlap in real life — one event can include several categories at once.
• A collage is art made by sticking different textured materials together, overlapping them to make a new picture.
• Materials: poster board (base), glue, scissors, magazines, newspapers, fabric scraps, buttons, yarn.
• Steps: gather → lay out → cut → arrange by category → paste with overlapping → add colour → dry.
• Overlapping is the key technique that gives a collage depth and visual interest.
• When displaying, discuss materials used, arrangement and layout.
• Good feedback is specific, polite and constructive.
• Reflection — name two things you liked and two you would improve, specifically.

A. Elements of a Story

Reading the Story — Max

Read the story below, then answer the questions that follow it.

My name is Max and I live in the busy town of Greenhill. I was once playful and energetic, but I had one big problem: I loved unhealthy food. Burgers, fries, pizzas and soda were my favourites. Over time, I started to gain weight and found myself getting tired easily.

One day at school, my friends no longer invited me to play Football. That was when I realised how much my eating habits had affected my life. That night I decided to change. I talked to my parents, and together we started eating healthy meals — fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.

I also started exercising every day, beginning with short walks, then jogs. Weeks turned into months and I lost weight, felt more energetic and was happier. I rejoined the Football team. My journey taught me an important lesson: a healthy lifestyle is the key to happiness and feeling good.

Questions on the Story

1. Who are the characters in the story?
2. Talk about the place and time when the story happened.
3. Talk about the flow of activities in the story.
4. What do we learn from the story?

A. Elements of a Story (continued)

1. Character

Characters are the people, animals or creatures in a story. They can be main characters or supporting characters.

• Main character — the one who deals with the biggest challenge or problem in the story.
• Supporting characters — characters who help move the story forward or support the main character.

Example from Max's story:

2. Setting

The setting is where and when a story takes place, including details about the environment, time period and location.

Setting has three parts:

• Time — the period in which the story occurs (day, night, year).
• Place — the specific location or environment (city, school, forest).
• Environment — details about the weather, culture and mood.

Example from Max's story:

A. Elements of a Story (continued)

Listening to a Story

With your teacher, listen to the story of the Gruffalo. As you listen, identify each of the four story elements.

Applying the Four Elements

Storytelling as an Art Form

Storytelling belongs to Theatre (Drama) and Film. A skilled storyteller uses voice, expression and timing to bring characters and events to life. The four elements — character, setting, plot and theme — are the tools that give every story its shape and its meaning.

The Four Elements of a Story

Every story is built on four elements. Together they carry the story's message.

3. Plot

The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. It has three main parts:

1. Beginning — introduces the characters and setting.
2. Middle — builds up the conflict or problem. This is the turning point or most exciting part of the story.
3. Ending — the conclusion where the conflict is resolved.

Plot breakdown of Max's story:

4. Theme

The theme is the central idea discussed in a story. It is the lesson or message the author wants readers to learn or remember.

The theme is not a single event — it is the big idea that runs through the whole story, shown through what the characters do and what happens to them.

Example from Max's story:

Max's theme is: "A healthy lifestyle is the key to happiness and feeling good."

This idea is shown through Max's choices (eating junk food, then changing to healthy food), through what happens to him (gaining weight, losing friends, then regaining fitness and friendships), and through his final reflection.

How to Identify the Theme

1. Think about what lesson the main character learns by the end.
2. Ask: what does the author want me to remember after reading this story?
3. Write the theme as a complete sentence, not just one word.

B. Performing Fitness Activities

Coordination and Strength

Two important components of physical fitness are strength and coordination.

• Strength — the ability of muscles to exert force. Strong muscles help you push, pull, lift and carry.
• Coordination — the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Good coordination helps you catch, throw, jump and balance.

You can develop both through specific exercises. Watch videos or participate in live fitness classes to observe how instructors demonstrate proper form and technique in exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups and planks.

Demonstrating Fitness Exercises

a) Push-ups — Strength Exercise

Push-ups develop strength in the arms and shoulders.

1. Get into a plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.
3. Push back up to the starting position.
4. Perform the push-ups several times.

b) Wall Tossing — Coordination Exercise

Wall tossing develops coordination between the eyes and hands.

1. Stand a few feet away from a wall holding a small ball.
2. Toss the ball against the wall and catch it as it bounces back.
3. Alternate hands to improve coordination.
4. Perform 3 sets of 15 tosses with each hand.

c) Jumping Rope — Coordination Exercise

Jumping rope develops the coordination of hands and feet.

1. Hold the rope with both hands, keeping it behind you.
2. Stand straight with feet together, rope resting on the ground behind your heels.
3. Use your wrists to swing the rope up and above your head.
4. When the rope reaches your feet, jump lightly to let it pass under you.
5. Keep swinging and jumping at a steady pace.

d) Jumping Jacks — Coordination Exercise

Jumping jacks develop leg and hand coordination when jumping.

1. Stand straight with feet together and arms at your sides.
2. Jump while spreading your legs apart and raising your arms overhead.
3. Jump again to bring feet back together and lower arms to your sides.
4. Keep jumping and alternating between the two positions at a steady pace.
5. Land softly and keep your movements smooth.