Iowa Education Standards May Drop Mentions of Climate Change

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Iowa’s Department of Education has proposed updates to state science standards that replace the term “climate change” with “climate trends” or similar phrases like “change over time.” Critics argue the revisions could make teaching the topic more challenging, particularly for educators who lack preparation or fear community backlash.

The National Center for Science Education noted that strong science standards directly impact the quality of classroom instruction. Their deputy director, Glenn Branch, emphasized that avoiding terms like climate change may mislead educators and students about the scientific consensus.

The proposed changes also exclude references to human contributions to climate change, such as fossil fuel consumption, replacing them with mentions of natural historical warming and cooling. A public comment session was held Wednesday in Iowa City, but additional input will be accepted online through February 3.