Curiosity Files eBook: Blue Diamond

Well Professor Ana Lyze has struck again-and it is all glittery and blue in color.  Perhaps she employed the Seven Drarfs [due to their uncanny, and lest we forget-singing the whole day long-knack for digging up gems of importance] to help expedite this interesting unit study.  After all, even a girl who is hard wired for all things off beat and slightly weird [such as Ana], most undoubtedly has a secret need for the sparkles, and shine found in a diamond.

This study dips your budding gemologists into a vat of "geology-knowledge", better known as the time honored, pressure causing method of creating something spectacular. The intent is to glean or "pick" at the interesting facts surrounding the beauty and rarity of a blue diamond specifically, but does touch on the formation of gem stones in general.  Loaded with direct web links, activity pages [such as crosswords, word finds, Curiosity Snippets (lapbook mini-booklets) and more], math challenges, Bible verses [copywork and general reference] and hands on activities [experiments, map work,baking projects, etc.]-your student will discover what it takes to make a rock a gem.  Or just how absurdly rich some folks can be (or dense in my opinion) for allowing their pooch to parade around with one of the rarest blue diamonds known to man, attached to it's collar (yes, true story there folks). It is all there waiting to be unearthed.

After pounding through a rock and gem kit he received for Christmas, my son is now ready to further explore what exactly those rocks are, and how they came to be.   And since we were able to actually see the very blue Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian, it won't be hard to imagine these precious stones at all.  With a variety of activities, my son will learn, and have fun while doing it.  That gets a big "HI-HO" from me!  We're both looking forward to starting the new year with this easy to use, unit study from Ana Lyze's Curiosity Files.

*Update Posts:
Jump Start the study
Can learn your lesson and eat it too

TOS homepage

Curiosity File: Blue Diamond info page
$6.95 eBook download
ages 8-13 (can be tweaked to fit ages below 8 and above 13 tho)
KJV is used for the copywork but one could adjust for their own version fairly easily
This could be a 1-2 week study, depending on how often you cover the material.  There is a suggested reading listed, as well as baking/craft projects noted-so you will need to have those resources beforehand in order to properly teach the unit.

*The eBook does not include a blue diamond (so sorry), nor singing dwarfs.  But the Smithsonian Institute does have a project kit called the Rock and Gem Dig, which is another excellent tie in for this unit study.

**The Old Schoolhouse provided me with a free download version of the Curiosity Files: Blue Diamond, to use with my children and so that I could write this review. Please note that I am an independent contractor for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine, that said-I have provided my honest opinion of this product regardless of that fact, and have not received any diamonds or financial compensation for it.