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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Shark Week at the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development
Shark Painting
The Mailman Segal Center’s Family Center Preschool and Infant & Toddler Program is proud to be a member of the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers (N4C). N4C is a nonprofit educational membership organization supporting excellence in programs for young children in communities of higher learning by providing opportunities for leadership, professional development, research, networking, and advocacy. Members are faculty, directors, administrators, and teachers from early childhood centers on university and college campuses from across the United States and Canada (www.campuschildren.org).
During the week of October 8, MSC joined N4C in a Celebration of Campus Children’s Centers. The focus of the festivity was ‘Sharks’. Teachers introduced ‘Thinking Routines’ to help children explore, make connections, and investigate what is means to be an NSU shark in meaningful and thought-provoking ways. During the ‘Circle of Viewpoints’ thinking routine, for example, a prekindergarten child introduced himself as a shark and invited his peers to ask questions about his experience. He responded to the questions posed from the perspective of a shark. Children drew ‘Thinking Webs’ to organize their ideas and knowledge about sharks. They created a thinking map called a ‘Venn Diagram’ to compare and contrast humans and sharks. Children identified questions or wonderings they continue to have about sharks. These include: How do sharks’ fins feel? If you feed a shark with fish, would the shark like you? Would a shark bite you if you touched its head? They are currently exploring how to find answers to these questions!
MSC also invited guest presenters to ignite children’s curiosity with shark-related information and activities. Shark expert Dr. Mike Heithaus, Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University gave a first-hand account of how sharks are studied by scientists. Yvain Desplat, M.S. Candidate from NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography introduced various shark species and helped children identify where species live all over the world.
As always, parents played an important role during Shark Week by reading shark-inspired stories in their child’s classroom. One parent introduced children to ‘Shark Lady’ Eugenie Clark who became the first person to train a shark to press targets! MSC’s shark adventures continue.
If you are interested in learning more about the Mailman Segal Center’s Early Learning Programs, contact Adele Weissblatt, Director of Admissions, at 954-262-6914 or aweissblatt@nova.edu.
Go Sharks!
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- NSU Oceanographic Center Guest Speaker
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- Mike Heithaus
