This resource manual integrates literature and social studies with an emphasis on character development. Using children's literature as a catalyst for investigating representative cultures, the manual's curriculum writers crafted multicultural, integrated, thematic lessons for the K-6 classroom that can be used throughout the year. Included are literary selections, teaching strategies, and instructional activities. Two-hundred and fifty-six books have been used to assist teachers in making character connections through reading, writing, and extensive integration with the ongoing curriculum. The overarching goal of the manual is the presentation of a balanced curriculum to students. The primary and elementary lessons in the manual are divided into six parts, each of which takes its theme from a type of celebration common to most human cultures. Themes in the manual are: (1) Making Lifetime Memories: Celebrating and Honoring Special Times with Families; (2) Harvest: Celebrations of Thanksgiving; (3) Masquerade: Celebrations of Frolic and Fantasy; (4) Festivals of Light: Celebrations of Illumination; (5) New Year: Celebrations of Optimism and Hope; and (6) Spring: Celebrations of Birth and Rebirth. An Appendix contains the following: Primary Resources; Elementary Resources; Research Base; Nine Core Character Traits; and Additional Character Traits Used in This Manual. (NKA)