Preschoolers at the Children's Creative Learning Center at Butler County Community College talk via Skype with children in a preschool classroom in Norway as part of a cultural lesson on Tuesday.

BUTLER TWP — Preschoolers at the Children's Creative Learning Center at Butler County Community College learned that some of the most tangible cultural lessons can be taught from thousands of miles away.

That occurred when they had a live video chat Tuesday with preschoolers in Stongfjordan, Norway, more than 3,400 miles from Butler.

While their Skype conversation was at 9:30 a.m. locally, just as their school day was beginning, Norway students were having the conversation at 3:30 p.m., at the end of their school day, since the two communities are six time zones apart.

They sang songs and nursery rhymes together, including “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The Norwegian students were able to sing those songs in English, and they also sang a Norwegian nursery song for the Butler students to hear.

“Our theme has been “Music Makes the World Go Round,” said Judy Zuzack, learning center director.

She said she wanted to use the diverse BC3 campus so she put out a call for international class lessons. She did so to give students a more hands-on approach for their international culture lessons.

“We can talk to them (about different countries) and show them on the globe, but to actually see and talk to students from there, that makes it more real for them,” Zuzack said.

This event occurred with the help of Eric Pedersen, a BC3 English professor. His son, Jeff, lives in Norway with his Norwegian wife. Jeff Pedersen coordinated the Skype conversation at a preschool where his children attend.

“Norwegian children learn English from a very young age,” Eric Pedersen said. “Even though cultures are different, children around the world are the same.”

In addition to singing songs, the children talked a little bit about climate and geography with mountains and rain there compared to Butler, which has hills and woods and a bit of snow now.

Zuzack hopes the preschool classes will be able to stay in touch with one another through letters, and that more Skype interactions can happen later.

“We all have commonalities,” she said.