This resource, maintained by the Yale New Haven Teacher's Institute, is a literature based unit centered around the theme of friendship. Using a variety of children's books, both fiction and non-fiction, and many collections of poems, this unit uses literature to examine African American culture. Divided into three sections, the unit explores different aspects of African American culture, including family relationships, friendships among peers, and relationships to and within one's community. Each activity is designed to enhance students' comprehension of the story or poem as well as their understanding of African American culture. Books and poetry selected are skillfully connected to the themes identified for each section of the unit. A bibliography of children's literature used with the unit is available at the website. (author/ncl)