Skip to main content
Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 12

Around the World and Back: Redesigning an International Market for Accessibility

A photo showing four students holding clipboards investigating the layout of the La Michoacana Mexican Market #10 in Huber Heights, Ohio.How are international markets arranged?

Students use original research and field trips to investigate the content, layout, and structure of local international markets (e.g., a Korean, Mexican, or Turkish market). Students learn about the cultural components and importance of the stores to the local immigrant populations through a multi-day field trip experience. Students investigate the food staple products of the store, and where they are situated within the layout of the market. Considering the area, available space, and shelving, students propose a store remodel using the engineering design process to celebrate culture, encourage diverse customers, and maximize profits. Student groups redesign an international store using research-based store placement best practices. The class conducts gallery walks and receives feedback from international partners to improve the final design. After the final designs are completed, students compare the patterns and trends of the periodic table to types of grocery stores.

Students use the engineering design process to propose a supermarket remodel. Students engage in original research to investigate the content, layout, structure, and ADA accessibility of local supermarkets. This involves gathering data, analyzing the layout of the stores, and understanding cultural components, brainstorming solutions, creating prototypes (store redesign proposals), and testing and iterating on those designs. Students must consider constraints such as available space, shelving, and cultural significance when proposing store remodels.

Finally, students compare the patterns and trends of the periodic table to types of grocery stores. The periodic table serves as a foundational tool for engineers across various disciplines, providing essential information about the properties and behavior of elements that is vital for designing and optimizing engineering systems and processes.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Describe the layout, organization, and structure of an international market.
  • Explain the cultural components of international markets, including customs, decorations, food, and products.
  • Plan updates and/or upgrades to a market to meet one more U.S. Federal Government ADA Standards for Accessible Design.*
  • Rationalize a redesign of an international market using a free, collaborative technology platform such as Tinkercad (by Autodesk©, Inc., https://www.tinkercad.com) based on pre-established and/or collaborative engineering constraints, such as accessibility and physical product placement.
  • Compare and contrast the organization, patterns, and trends at American and international markets judged against the periodic trends of elements on the periodic table.

*SPECIAL NOTES: International markets are not the only buildings that may not have been updated to meet U.S. Federal Government ADA Standards for Accessible Design. More than likely, there are hundreds or thousands of buildings in your local community that have not been redesigned or updated to meet ADA guidelines. Many small business owners are unable to implement ADA updates due to financial constraints. Please exercise great care and caution to ensure that students do not acquire a misconception that international markets are the only facilities that need ADA updates.

More Like This