This lesson shares a Ute tale with students to help them to use illustrations to help clarify text details and sequence. The story is then used to help engage students in a discussion on bullying, how actions have consequences and what the characteristics are of a good friend.Background information gives teachers resources to help their students learn more about the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. The lesson is an integrated English Language Arts, Social Studies, Health lesson. 

This is a video that helps teach students with special needs, or students that struggle with social skills, appropriate responses when interacting with peers. Both positive and negative examples are given to show cause and effect. This resource helps reinforce positive social skills and can help students engage more appropriately with their peers.
After showing students this video, you can have them practice different scenarios, that will help them generalize appropriate social skills in their environment.

This lesson utilizes the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation (UIT) tale, “Why Buzzard Is a Loner” to enhance comprehension skills, provide an introduction to the importance of personal hygiene and drama. Although some Native American Indian stories can only be told during the winter time, this story can be told any time of the year. The tale will be read aloud to the students who will then dramatize the story as it is read again. Then students will have a presentation from a health practitioner, school counselor or the school nurse on healthy teeth maintenance (i.e., brushing, flossing, rinsing, etc.)Extensions include learning more about birds in Utah and lessons that give more information about the Ute people. The cultural note states, “Just as the birds in this story held a council meeting to decide how to deal with Buzzard. Ute people, to this day, have council meetings to discuss problems and solutions for their people. At these meetings, everyone has the right to express his or her opinion and be heard and listened to.”