Infrared Zoo Lesson 1 A Trip to the Infrared Zoo

DAY 1: LEARN ABOUT INFRARED LIGHT AND INFRARED IMAGE TECHNOLOGY

A. Engage Your Learners

Activity Time: 5-10 minutes

In this section you will use some unique and unusual images to engage your learners in the first exploration. Your learners are not likely to have seen an infrared image of an object before. The most unusual infrared images are the infrared Portraits. Project one or more of these images at the beginning of class to get your learners curious about the funny faces! You will find portraits here: http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_portraits.html The goal is to get them asking questions about what they are seeing, which will lead into the next exploration.

B. Exploring Infrared Image Technology

Activity Time: 25-45 minutes

This lesson is a mini-exploration and serves as an introduction to infrared imaging. It is necessary to complete this lesson before moving onto the exploration of the Infrared Zoo animals. At the conclusion of this exploration, your learners should understand the following:

• Infrared cameras can detect how much infrared radiation/light an object is emitting
  
• Infrared images (like the ones here) show how much infrared light was detected by the camera. Infrared light is used to measure the heat emitted by these objects. This measurement is transferred to color codes and is equivalent to degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• The infrared image has been scaled to show the temperature of the various areas of the object using a false-color map.
  
• False-color maps, like the infrared images here, come with a legend that tells the observer which temperatures are associated with which colors. This is how someone can accurately interpret the image.
  
• By looking at or observing the images, one can determine warmer or cooler areas. One is unable to do this with visible light images.

This activity is common to many of our lesson guides. Please go to Exploring Infrared Image Technology to access the lesson guide.