Introduction: The use of plants for food, industrial and medicinal purposes is widely recognized. Medicinal uses are the center of interest of the present study, due to their importance as a source of relevant active principles in traditional medicine and also in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the use of plants in ethnomedicine and their relevance in the northern region of Colombia, a school project was developed within the line of phytochemical research. Objective: Carry out a study about the secondary metabolites present in the species Ocimum campechianum (Mill.) (basil), Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst (chaya) and Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown (bushy matgrass). Methods: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted based on the survey technique (Annex 1). The protocol proposed by the Pharmacy Department of the University of Antioquia was used for determination of secondary metabolites. The plant samples were collected in April 2018 during the rainy season. Results: The study species were identified in the Colombian national herbarium and reported for the first time for the department of Cordoba (Colombia). The secondary metabolites identified in fresh leaves of Ocimum campechianum (Mill.), Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst and Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown were flavonoids, leukoanthocyanidins, cardiotonics, phenolic compounds, saponins and alkaloids, which may be involved in the curative properties of these species. Conclusions: It is suggested that the secondary metabolites present in Ocimum campechianum (Mill.), Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst and Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown may be involved in the curative capacity of these species. In addition, determination of secondary metabolites gains relevance in the educational context, since students develop research skills by conducting school projects about topics related to their environment. Key words: traditional medicine, medicinal plants, secondary metabolites, Ocimum campechianum (Mill.), Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst and Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown.