Mars Mystery Spot:
Analyzing Warrego Vallis one array of pixels at a time
NOTES FOR THE GAME: Mars Mystery Spot
The outcome of all these mini-lessons yields fruit in this lesson. You
might want to split up into teams.
GOAL- The goal of this exercise is to find the opponents array first,
before they find yours. The array choice is a 49 pixel array (7x7)
somewhere on the Warrego Vallis image.
RULES-Each team receives the opposing teams grid chart on the hint
sheet.
Teams have 5 minutes to review the information they have received before
the game starts.
The players fill out "play time" grid charts to check their progress as
play starts. They also process the image (apply LUTs, magnify, filter, etc).
Winning team calls out FOUND IT! as soon as they think they have
evidence enough to identify the array on their Òplay timeÓ grid chart and
have selected the opponents array with the rectangle tool.
If the team calling out FOUND IT is in error after the teacher checks the
win, the opponents get a free 2 minutes head start as the game resumes.
HINT #1- Hold down the control key at the same time you select a
section of the image to make multiple selections.
HINT #2-Triple check your situation before calling a win by using a
certain Macro.
On the hints sheet should be information (x,y,v) for all the pixels in
the 7x7 array (49 pixels), team names, opponent team names and
magnification level when array was chosen. Adults should review the
hints sheets to make sure it is properly completed before competition
begins.
Finally fine adjustment of the rectangle tools selection area can be done
more easily under high magnification. It is also easier to move the
selection around.
If learners are struggling with the scalability of a selection of pixels
(they keep selecting arrays that are 50 by 50 instead of 7 by 7), ask
them to zoom to fit the entire image to check their selections scales. Any
selection more than a fraction of a millimeter, or so when zoomed to fit
is to big a selection.
Mars Mystery Spot Game
You will find two more tools handy in your effort to analyze this image
using NIH Image. They are the Coordinate Tool (looks like cross hairs on
a scope) and the info window. The coordinate tool lets you pick one
point on the image at a time very accurately. The info window displays
information as you move the coordinate tool around the image. In this
activity we are interested in locating pixels using the x value, the y
value and the luminosity or brightness value. The luminosity value is the
pixel value.
- Start NIH Image and open the same image as before (Warrego.tif)
- Go to the menu labeled Windows, drag down that menu selecting info.
The info window should pop up to the top of your desktop.
- Grab the info window by the title bar and drag it to a place on the
desktop where it will remain visible after you click on the image window.
NOTE- do not cover up the Tools window as you need to be able to select
tools in this activity.
- Choose one feature of Warrego Vallis to focus upon.
- Magnify the feature you have chosen to at least 16:1.
- Select the coordinate tool and move around the feature you are
studying.
Notice the changes that occur for the x, y and v values in the info table.
Determine what plane or axis the x values are in by moving the cross hair
up and down as well as side by side.
NOTE- the correct plane will be that plane where the x value changes in
the info window.
Determine what plane or axis the y values are in by moving the cross hair
up and down as well as side by side.
NOTE- the correct plane will be that plane where the y value changes in
the info window.
Choose an array or grid within your studied feature that is 7 pixels
by 7 pixels.
On the hint sheet below, fill in, clearly, each square of the grid
with that pixels three values; the x value, the y value and
the pixel value (v) of luminosity or brightness. Also, write down what
level of magnification you used.
Hints Sheet
Date
Period
Team Names
Opponent Team name
Magnification Level = __ : __
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____
x___ x___ x____ x____ x____ x____ x____
y___ y___ y____ y____ y____ y____ y____
v___ v___ v____ v____ v____ v____ v____