Tap Tap buses

I loved these buses and knew that I had to make a place for them when we were studing Haiti.  I was also very happy to find a lesson in the School Arts magazine that gave some suggestions on how to make a simple shape of a Tap Tap bus.

To introduce this project I read the book Tap- Tap which is just a great story.  The book is about a little girl named Sasifi who longs to ride a tap-tap, a truck that carries passengers and their belongings in rural Haiti. The book combines rich storytelling, humorous illustrations and funny moments and its brisk pace will keep your students engaged.  I have a background in literacy development and read alouds are great ways to model and increase language development in the classroom setting.

Tap taps are gaily painted buses or pick-up trucks that serve as share taxis in Haiti. I found some you tube videos that actually showed the busses being painted and a lot of the art work resembles graffiti art so my older kids really were impressed by the art work.