Recently, I reviewed the Hero Central Science Leader, which is published by Cokesbury as part of its VBS curriculum Hero Central. I had heard good things about this curriculum from my friend and science colleague, Sy Garte (www.bookofworks.com), who participated last summer in his church’s VBS as the ‘resident scientist’.

From first glance, I was encouraged to see that Cokesbury had partnered with Steve Spangler Science to develop these lessons. Steve Spangler is a well-known popularizer of science and his company is a “go to” supplier for hands-on science education resources.

I was not disappointed. The science experiments in these lessons make real use of the scientific method—begin with a question and hypothesis, do an experiment that manipulates one variable, then observe what happens and analyze.

It is refreshing to see a VBS curriculum that allows learners to engage the scientific method of inquiry. I have seen many Christian curricula that claim to have a science component. But, drawing pictures of leaves, for example, is not science. Nature appreciation is not science. Ooh- and aah-ing over a cool chemical reaction is not science. The Hero Central Science Leader incorporates hands-on science activities that allow students to engage the scientific process of inquiry.

The science component of this curriculum takes about a half an hour each VBS day. It does offer preschool science options.

And, if you can, I highly recommend doing what my friend Sy’s church did—supplement the curriculum by bringing in real scientists from your congregation to serve as VBS leaders. While the simple science in this curriculum doesn’t require the expertise of a scientist, it can be an invaluable experience for your children to get to know the real scientist Christians in their midst. There is no better witness to the compatibility of science and Christian faith than our brothers and sisters in Christ who model it for us as a way of life. My friend, Sy, reported that he had a lot of fun telling kids about real science and how it fit with each lesson.

You can purchase Hero Central Science Leader as a digital download here