HB4895 Explained: A Guide for Illinois Teachers

HB4895 in 30 Seconds

HB4895 is Illinois's new climate education law. It says every public school must teach about climate change starting in the 2026–2027 school year. Lessons must cover impacts on people and places and also solutions. Teaching should match Illinois learning standards. See the bill text on LegiScan and a summary from NCSE.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will prepare resources and training, starting July 1, 2025, subject to funding (ISBE update; Illinois Policy overview).

Quick start: Open the free Illinois Climate Education Hub to find ready-to-use, Illinois-specific lesson plans. The hub was built to help you meet HB4895 and launched statewide in 2025 (NCSE coverage; background at Climate Education for Illinois).

What This Means for Your Classroom

• Who: All Illinois public schools, K–12.
• When: Required beginning in 2026–2027 (law enacted Aug. 9, 2024).
• What to teach: Climate impacts and solutions, aligned to state standards. You can integrate into science, social studies, ELA, math, CTE, and the arts.
• Support: ISBE will prepare resources and PD, subject to appropriation (details).

How It Fits Different Subjects

• Science (NGSS): Model weather vs. climate, graph local trends, test solutions. Connect to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
• Social Studies: Study community impacts and policy choices. Add a simple climate justice curriculum lens with local examples.
• ELA: Read and write about Illinois stories. Practice claims, evidence, and reasoning.
• Math: Analyze temperature or energy data. Create charts and compare rates of change.
• CTE/Art: Design energy-smart buildings, create public posters, or map green jobs.

Key Dates and Accountability

• Aug 9, 2024: Law signed (NCSE).
• July 1, 2025: ISBE to prepare resources and PD, subject to funding (ISBE note; overview).
• 2026–2027: Instruction required in every public school (HB4895 text).
• Evidence: Keep a plan outline, sample student work, and where it aligns to standards. The law does not set a test; districts decide details.

Where to Find Free, IL-Ready Resources

The Illinois Climate Education Hub was built to meet HB4895. It is free, standards-aligned, and focused on Illinois. It links lessons, assessments, and PD. It launched in 2025 to give teachers a head start (NCSE). Background and partners: Climate Education for Illinois.

• Why use it: One-stop shop, vetted by educators and scientists, with Illinois examples and place-based learning.
• Cost: Free for K–12 educators.

Grade-Band Picks You Can Use This Week

Grade band	Try this first	Why it fits HB4895
K–5	Illinois EPA NGSS-aligned units (energy, waste); IDNR climate resources; Sea Grant climate & weather toolkit	Simple, hands-on lessons for impacts and solutions; IL examples; NGSS links.
6–8	Chicago Botanic Garden: Climate Change in My Backyard (5–12); Illinois EPA Energy unit; Illinois RiverWatch videos	Data activities, local case studies, field-based options; easy to align to NGSS and social studies.
9–12	CBG advanced lessons; IL Climate Education Hub collections; Take Action Global: Illinois Teachers	Project-based learning, civic action, workforce links; supports cross-subject work and solutions.

How to Comply: Teacher's 5-Step Checklist

Use this quick path to pick, teach, and document a lesson in under 15 minutes.

1) Open the Illinois Climate Education Hub and filter by grade, subject, and standards.
2) Choose one lesson that covers an impact (local) and one solution (mitigation or adaptation).
3) Adapt it to your class: add an IL example (neighborhood, river, farm, or city) and a short exit ticket.
4) Teach it: 35 minutes activity + 10 minutes share-out; collect exit tickets.
5) Save evidence: lesson link, standards tags, student sample, and short reflection in your planning folder.

Tip: Mention NGSS codes or Illinois social science standards where it fits. This helps with audits and team planning.

Two Simple, One-Period Examples

Grade 7 Science: Local Weather vs. Climate

• Goal: Explain the difference and why it matters for Illinois.
• Do: Graph 30-year temperature data for your county; compare to last week's weather.
• Connect: Use a short reading from the Hub on heat waves in Illinois. Students write one solution idea for schools (shade trees, cool roofs).
• Assess: Exit ticket: one impact + one solution.

Grade 10 Social Studies: Community Impacts and Solutions

• Goal: Identify who is most affected and how policy can help.
• Do: Read a news brief on flooding in Illinois (find via the Hub). Discuss fairness and climate justice.
• Connect: Review city or county plans for resilience (stormwater upgrades). Compare two choices and vote on the best.
• Assess: 150-word memo: What should our town do first and why?

Professional Development and Support

• State support: ISBE will make PD and resources available, subject to funding (ISBE note).
• Hub PD: The Illinois Climate Education Hub offers webinars, tutorials, and standards guides. Media coverage: NCSE.
• Partners: The hub was built by Climate Education for Illinois with trusted non-profits; background and partners appear here.
• Extra tools: Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum; Illinois EPA education resources; Illinois DNR climate resources; Take Action Global.

FAQs

Is HB4895 funded?

The law is passed, but broad funding is not yet in place. ISBE support is subject to appropriation (CE4IL notes; ISBE).

Which schools and grades?

Every public school, K–12, beginning 2026–2027 (HB4895; NCSE).

Do I need a stand-alone course?

No. You can integrate climate instruction into current classes (science, social studies, ELA, math, arts, or CTE).

What do I need to document?

Keep a plan, standards alignment, and a student work sample. Districts set local processes.

How does this compare to other states?

Illinois is the fifth state to require climate education (IEC; University of Illinois), and is building a hub like efforts seen in other states (NCSE).

Administrator Corner: Fast Compliance Plan

• 1. Appoint a lead: Name a building or district HB4895 point person.
• 2. Map where it lives: Identify grade-level units that already touch climate content (science and social studies first).
• 3. Adopt the Hub: Set the Illinois Climate Education Hub as your default source for lessons and PD.
• 4. Schedule PD: Offer a 60-minute PD on standards alignment and use of the hub; note ISBE PD is pending funding (ISBE).
• 5. Track evidence: Collect a simple artifact set each semester: plan, standards tags, sample work.

Why This Matters

Illinois leads on climate education and joins a growing trend across the country. Data point: Illinois became the fifth state to require climate change education (IEC press). Trend insight: New statewide hubs are helping teachers find vetted, local lessons, from New York to Oregon (NCSE). Citizen action: Ask your school board for PD time and share your needs with district leaders. You can also learn how students helped pass this law (youth story) and follow updates at Climate Education for Illinois.

Get Started Now

• Open the Illinois Climate Education Hub.
• Pick one lesson for next week that covers an impact and a solution.
• Align to NGSS or your social science standard. Save your evidence.

HB4895 is simple: teach impacts and solutions, aligned to standards. The Hub gives you the lessons. You bring them to life for Illinois kids.