A jewel beneath the soil

By Ana Maria Hoyos

First grade science teacher

Last November 14th, all primary students went to Nemocón town, near Bogotá, for a visit to the salt mine. It was a great activity led by Social Studies and Science departments, where kids could interact in a different and special environment. One of the main goals of this field trip was to offer our Lincolnian

kids the opportunity to observe a remarkable and amazing place, right in the middle of our Cundinamarca region. The first step was to ensure safety of us all, so one by one, kids went to claim a safety helmet, a requisite to enter the mine. An impressive scenery was expecting them, marvelous landscape deep down, some 60 m below the surface. Some of the moments they remember the most is the moment of visiting the caves with the “Mirror effect”. Huge holes inside the mine with water, which, with the appropriate lighting, reflect the images just as a mirror would do. Students were amazed to discover it was not a cliff but just a reflection.

At the end, students could find the old “Life tree” on the top of a mountain, mentioned during the tour in the mine, where they could climb, play and roll down.

Kids enjoyed the experience of being inside the salt mine where a couple of months ago, the movie “The 33” was filmed based on the

Chilean Miners trapped in a mine for 70 days.

Experiences such as this, not only give us knowledge on science, but also fills our spirits with joy and let us know the amount of places and activities we can do with our kids, friends and family members as well.

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