"Coyote and the Rock" is a Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation tale. Many Native American tribes have "Coyote Stories." Coyote stories are traditionally only told in the winter season. Coyote stories are meant to entertain or instruct, or both. After reading the story students will create a "living picture" called a Tableau. A tableau is a representation of a dramatic scene by a person or group, posing silently without moving. In art, tableaus can be seen in the theater when a stage picute shows silent, still, costumed actor in poses creating a scene. Tableaus allows teachers to engage students with multiple learning styles. It can serve as an assessment tool when students "show what they know" as a frozen picture.  Tableau can support literacy when used to comprehend text and analyze literary elements such as character, plot, them, conflict and resolution. Tableaus also supports cooperative learning environments. 

Listen and respond to a Paiute story.
Explore art making, using chalk or crayons.
Create a project depicting one of the scenes in the book.
This lesson was written in partnership with Dorena Martineau, the Paiute Cultural Resource Director, and was approved by the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah’s Tribal Council. Before teaching this lesson, please explain to your students that there are many indigenous tribes in the United States and that this lesson Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Seal focuses on the five bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and does not represent other Native American groups. It is the hope of the Paiutes that other native tribes will respect their choice to share this aspect of their culture.