C Curriculum Explorer
Personal & Social Development·Emotional Literacy·conceptual

Hidden and Masked Feelings

Recognise that people sometimes hide or mask their true feelings — smiling when they're actually sad, or saying 'I'm fine' when they're not — and understand why someone might do this

Suggested ages 7–9

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Learning journey

Your child is developing a deeper understanding of emotions — learning more specific emotion words, recognising how feelings vary in intensity, and understanding the connection between emotions and physical sensations in their body.

Evidence of understanding

  • Give an example of a time someone might hide their feelings and explain why
  • Identify mismatches between someone's words and their body language
  • Explain that hiding feelings is common but that it's usually better to share with someone trusted

Assessment prompt

If a friend at school says 'I'm fine' but looks upset and is being very quiet, can Hidden and Masked Feelings recognise that the friend might not actually be fine?

Standards alignment

PSPE-ID-LO-P3-8International · ib-pyp-pspe

PSPE-ID-LO-P3-8

IB PYP Personal, Social and Physical Education (PSPE) Scope and Sequence