In 18 months the Security Council will review the embargo's effectiveness and decide on its future. One determining factor will be the control Sierra Leone's government has over the diamond-producing areas. Students can read a United Nations press release concerning the decision. Teaching the Problem Diamonds can be studied in many different contexts. The following information and activities are taken from Riverdeep's SimLibrary and from the American Museum on Natural History's online exhibit, The Nature of Diamonds.
Students can learn how they are formed, how they move to Earth's surface, etc.
Diamonds are a form of pure carbon. Diamonds are very hard because of their crystal structure, in which each carbon atom is connected to four other carbon atoms by strong chemical bonds. When a chemical bond is formed between two elements, only the outermost electrons are involved. Diamond is Special at the AMNH exhibit. Diamonds owe their sparkling brilliance to their high index of refraction and their ability to disperse white light.