Into the belly of the Earth to find our origins

I always wonder what drives me to take on the responsibility of organizing outings for my students. I always vow never to do it again, but with the joyful noise of 11 year old exuberance still ringing in my tired ears, I am already looking for the next place to take them.

I took my Grade 5s and 6s to Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves. It is a UNESCO listed site and more commonly referred to as the Cradle of Humankind. It is a site of very important fossil finds, relating to the origin of the human species.

An elephant in the room

The experience starts in the Caves, with excellent guides taking the students down for a tour through the caves. On route they cover topics ranging from the formation of caves, through to Little Foot and Mrs Pless, to sundials and blind cave shrimps. The students see samples of fossil excavation sites, a underground lake so still that it they had to touch the water to believe that it was not a massive block of glass and crystals growing on the cave walls. They experienced absolute silence apart from dripping water and the total darkness of not being able to see your hands 1 cm away from your face. They loved it!

The already exhilarated students then were treated to a sensory boat ride taking them through the four classic elements (water, earth, fire and air) into the exhibition centre. Most of the exhibitions there are completely interactive.

My students had the time of their life and best of all, I can hear how much they have learnt when I eavesdrop on their current casual conversations!

I do wish that all topics could either be kicked off or concluded with such an experience!