While spectrum analysis shows what gases are contained in this comet, the children work with their computers and each other to solve math and logic problems essential to the success of their mission. Unlike the action-packed ads about military life lately, this video addresses the real commitment and discipline it takes to become a naval officer. Here, where all U. S. naval officers receive their training, the children see all aspects of a midshipman s life, including the barracks. They work the controls on board ship, participate in a mock drill, and visit the Hydrodynamics laboratory to see how ships are tested for seaworthiness. Starting with an expert from Ghana, the children discover the importance of color and pattern while weaving designs on their own hand-made looms.
Patterns surface again in the rhythms of the band they form, playing unfamiliar instruments.
They watch women make pots and learn how masks are designed for the men who dance. On board the Sea Explorer, the children are introduced to the world of whales and dolphins by an engaging marine biologist. They learn how different species of whales and dolphins congregate, communicate, migrate and eat. To study the food of the mud-swilling gray whales, a sample grapple is lowered. It brings up sea-bottom dwellers tiny enough to fit on the children s fingers.