Doherty “Travels” the 50 States for Cultural Connections

In a different twist from their traditional international studies, the Doherty Campus is traversing the United States for their annual Cultural Connections Week. “We usually explore another country,” said Doherty counselor Angie Bielecki. “This year we have decided on a virtual ‘staycation’ in the United States. We’ve expanded this project to take a deeper dive into discussing culture throughout the months of April and May.” Bielecki said students—from pre-kindergarteners to fifth-graders—will explore a region of the United States including questions of “Who lives here?” and “What experiences shaped this community?” from multiple perspectives. “Classes will explore together the importance of culture and how we discuss culture by using the guiding question of ‘How does culture make us similar and different?’ Bielecki said. “We have divided up the United States by region and each grade level will create a project sharing their learning with the Doherty community.” Bielecki said the intensive study may include artistic displays, story walks, and using technology to teach the rest of the school. The regions of the United States will be broken down in the following way:

• Southwest – Pre-K
• Northwest – Unit III
• Midwest – Unit II
• Northeast – Unit I
• Southeast – Kindergarten
• Puerto Rico – Encore