AT THE SUPERMARKET

It is an activity thought to help the social and working inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities thanks to the collaboration of their mates. It consists in the simulation, at school, of a working environment: “the supermarket” run by students with disabilities and open to everybody at school.

The realization of this project saw four early stages: • arrangement of a supermarket at school • guided tours at a supermarket • Simulation sales activities with all the students of the Institute • a training period.

In this learning environment, school subjects (Italian, Maths, English, Science, Geography, Economics, low ) become important and tangible means through which students can acquire skills.

The project received prizes and awards.

“At the Supermarket” had then two extensions: a project on food “food lab” and the “Town market”.

With the “food lab” students had the opportunity to approach the matter of a healthy diet. Through practical and theoretical activities, they took knowledge of various and different nutritional characteristics of food in their supermarket and then they were able to develop not only a healthy diet, but also a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to this lab activity, students could deal with some topics of subjects such as science (the human body and its functioning), Chemistry and Physics (the use of scales and measures).

With the Town Market the students left their "supermarket", and faced with a new and more complex educational environment. Here, they had to compare and relate to each other similar products with different prices and then they had to choose according to some parameters and criteria. This activity involved the use of complex cognitive processes.

 click here for the italian version with materials (photos and videos)