Heifers at Play, 1883
Oil on canvas
26 1/4 × 35 11/16 in. (66.68 × 90.65 cm)
Bequest of René von Schleinitz M1972.120
Photo credit: Larry Sanders
Objective: Students will identify the various living organisms represented within the painting and determine how and where in the painting these organisms are receiving the energy needed for life.
Look: Students will examine the painting, using the guiding questions: What do you see in this painting? What living things are in this painting? How many of them are there?
Wonder: Students will think about what different living organisms need to consume in order to survive. Students should consider the different needs of plants versus animals while observing the painting.
Share: Students will engage in a class discussion in which they answer the prompt: What are the living things in this painting using to survive?
Standard: SCI.LS1.C.5 Food provides animals with the materials and energy they need for body repair, growth, warmth, and motion. Plants acquire material for growth chiefly from air, water, and process matter, and obtain energy from sunlight, which is used to maintain conditions necessary for survival.