Infrared Zoo Lesson 1 A Trip to the Infrared Zoo

Day 3: EXTEND AND APPLY UNDERSTANDINGS

Activity Time: varies

Image sets used:

Image Appendix, Image Set 3, Characterizing Warm Blooded Animals (Section VI, C) MS Word version | pdf version
Image Appendix, Image Set 4, Where Have You Been? (Section VI, D) MS Word version | pdf version
Image Appendix, Image Set 5, Sunlight and the Color of Fur (Section VI, E) MS Word version | pdf version
Image Appendix, Image Set 6, External Thermostats (Section VI, F) MS Word version | pdf version

The learners can now apply their base knowledge from the explore and explain activities to a new scenario to deepen their understanding and discover something new. The extent to which you take this new exploration will depend on your learner's abilities and your own curriculum goals. Here, we present simple extensions and leave deeper details for you to tailor. Completion of all of these activities is not required. Please choose the activity or activities that suit your classroom best.

The two objectives of these extension activities deal with how warm-blooded animals insulate themselves and/or expel excess heat and how cold-blooded creatures warm or cool themselves. There are many avenues from these basic objectives that you can take your learners down.

Presented below are some "brain storm" ideas for you to construct more in-depth extension activities and worksheets from. Pick and choose what you need! If you have a creative idea that worked well in your classroom, please email us at outreach@ipac.caltech.edu and we will add your idea to the resources.

A. Characterizing Warm-blooded Animals

Study in detail any one mammal. Ask your learners to describe "where" the animal loses heat and conserves heat. Using the Infrared Zoo Image Gallery from the Cool Cosmos website, ask them to determine if this is true for all mammals. Does the feather or fur thickness matter? Some thought-provoking images we recommend can be found in Image Appendix, Image Set 3, Characterizing Warm Blooded Animals (Section VI, C) (MS Word version | pdf version).

• Baboon 1 & Baboon 2
  
• Cat
  
• Chicken
  
• Dog
  
• Giraffe 1 & Giraffe 2
  
• Macaw
  
• Parrot 1 & Parrot 2
  
• Pig
  
• Puppy
  
• Sea Lion
  
• Terrier

B. Design a Mammal (Evaluation Idea!)

Pre-requisite: Completion of Activity A of section V: Day 3 (Characterizing Warm-blooded Animals)

Each group is to "design a new mammal" and draw it as seen by our own eyes (visible light image). They need to include such details as hair/fur/feather thickness, bare skin, and other features for it's body. On a new sheet of paper they are to redraw the outline of the animal and color it like the false-color infrared images.

C. Where Have You Been?

Pre-requisite: Completion of Activity A of section V: Day 3 (Characterizing Warm-blooded Animals)

In Activity A the learners have examined images of mammals and birds as they are photographed in relatively neutral environments, shaded areas. Some animals in the zoo have been photographed in the sun, after just coming out of the sun, or coming out of the water. Don't tell your students this! Here they will hypothesize why the animals and birds do not look like they do in Activity A! Some thought-provoking images we recommend can be found in Image Appendix, Image Set 4, Where Have You Been? (Section VI, D) (MS Word version | pdf version).

• Chicken 1 & Chicken 2
     Why is the head and back so hot?
     These areas are in sunlight and have been externally heated
  
• Eagle
     Why is the back so hot?
     This area has been in the sunlight and has been externally heated.
  
• Emu 1 & Emu 2
     The emu is photographed in the shade. What is "not quite right" about the infrared image? Where has the emu come from?
     The emu came from an area where there was sunlight and the feathers were heated. It went into the shade and has retained the heat from the sunlight.
  
• Flamingo 1 & Flamingo 2 compared with Flamingo 3
     Why are they different?
     Flamingo 3 is in the sunlight and various areas are being externally heated.
  
• Macaw
     Why is the underarm so hot? Has the bird been flying upside down to get sunlight? What's going on?
     Like the armpits of humans, these are areas that are warmer and where heat can be released to cool off (wings up) or stay warm (wings tucked in). These armpit areas in birds have thinner lighter feathers.
  
• Parrot
     Why is the underarm so hot? Has the bird been flying upside down to get sunlight? What's going on?
     Like the armpits of humans, these are areas that are warmer and where heat can be released to cool off (wings up) or stay warm (wings tucked in). These armpit areas in birds have thinner lighter feathers.
  
• Elephant 1 & Elephant 2
     Why are they different?
     The elephants in Elephant 1 are in the sunlight and are being externally heated.
  
• Seal 1 & Seal 2
     Why are they different?
     Seal 1 just came from the cold water.
  
• Sea Lion
     Why is the underside cooler?
     The topside is being externally heated by the sunlight and the underside has stayed cool from being covered.
  
• Sea Lion
     Where did they just come from?
     They came from the cold water.

D. Sunlight and the Color of Fur

There are a few pictures in the zoo where one can see how the color of fur affects the infrared image. You can extend this concept into how certain animals get warmer and cool off in the sunlight. White or lighter colored areas are cooler than black or darker areas. An analogy for your learners can be summertime clothes. Have them reflect back to a time when they were wearing a black t-shirt and standing in sunlight as compared to wearing a white t-shirt. Some thought-provoking images we recommend can be found in Image Appendix, Image Set 5, Sunlight and the Color of Fur (Section VI, E) (MS Word version | pdf version).