This resource book is one of a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Folktales and Legends" 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 inventing folktales and heroes. 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) "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain" (Verna Aardema); (2) "A Drop of Honey" (Djemma Bider); (3) "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" (Tomie dePaola); (4) "Tikki Tikki Tembo" (Arlene Mosel); (5) "The Woman Who Outshone the Sun" (Alejandro Cruz Martinez); (6) "A Story--A Story" (Gail E. Haley); (7) "Momotaro, the Peach Boy" (Linda Shute); and (8) "Llama and the Great Flood" (Ellen Alexander). (EH)