1 minute read
Land
Debrief 5 min
Objective: Organize, count, and represent a collection of objects.
Display Flower Vendor, 1949, by Diego Rivera.
This painting is called Flower Vendor. The artist who painted this is named Diego Rivera. It is one of many paintings he made of calla lily flowers.
Use the following questions to help students engage with the art:
• What do you notice in the painting?
• What do you wonder?
Guide students to think about the painting in terms of their experience with the counting collection. Tell the class that the children in the painting are making bundles of flowers for the woman to carry.
Do you think they are making equal groups? Why?
No, they’re not making equal groups. It’s easy to tell just by looking that the bundles are different sizes.
Why might it be useful to make equal groups of flowers?
It might be easier for the woman to carry equal groups. If she had one giant bundle and one small bundle, it could be hard to manage.
To find the total
To count them
Why might the woman need to know how many flowers are in the collection?
Maybe she’s planning to sell them. The name of the painting is Flower Vendor.
Maybe she’ll give them away, and she wants to be fair to her friends.
Teacher Note
The focal point of this painting is the woman in the center. Rivera draws the eye to her by using bright colors in her dress, contrasting her head against the white flowers, and using the accents on her dress to frame her face. Notice that on the left side of the painting, the girl’s clothing mirrors the linearity of the stems. On the right side of the painting, the girl’s hair and clothing mirror the heart-like shape of the flower petals.
In the center of the painting, eyes may be drawn to the parallel lines that are formed by the angle of the boy’s back and the stems of the two flower bundles.
How might knowing the number of flowers in each group help? She could add them all up. If they are equal groups, she can skip-count.
As time allows, use the following questions to deepen students’ exploration of the art:
• What catches your eye in this painting? Why do you think you focused on that?
• Notice how the stems of the calla lily flowers are long and straight without leaves. Where else in the painting do you see lines like that?
Exit Ticket 5 min
Provide up to 5 minutes for students to complete the Exit Ticket. It is possible to gather formative data even if some students do not complete every problem.
