This resource book is one in a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Across America" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called "windows." Some of these activities are cooking, making music, performing drama, creating art, and constructing landscapes and maps. These allow for discussion and comparison by the students of the lives of diverse people, past and present. A word bank, follow-up questions, and a synthesis section allow students to process information about the story characters and their own lives. Illustrations and a materials list conclude each activity section. The background readings used in this resource book include: (1) "Just Plain Fancy" (Patricia Polacco); (2) "Angel Child, Dragon Child" (Michele Maria Surat); (3) "Annie and the Old One" (Miska Miles); (4) "Tar Beach" (Faith Ringgold); (5) "Three Stalks of Corn" (Leo Politi); (6) "How My Parents Learned to Eat" (Ina Friedman); (7) "Shaker Lane" (Alice and Martin Provensen); and (8) "Ragtime Tumpie" (Alan Schroeder). (EH)