How can century-old weather records become meaningful learning materials for today’s classrooms? On October 3, the Department of Cultural Resources at National University of Tainan (NUTN) held the second workshop in its “Weather Records Through the Ages: A Dialogue with the 1926 History of the Postal and Telegraph Services—Meteorology Section” series. Titled “Bringing Historical Weather Records into the Classroom: Interdisciplinary Lesson Development,” the workshop built on the first session’s use of AI-generated four-panel comics to interpret meteorological history. This time, the focus shifted to interdisciplinary lesson design, combining historical research, heritage site visits, and AI tools to help educators transform archival documents into practical teaching materials.
The workshop was jointly organized by NUTN’s Department of Cultural Resources, the Southern Taiwan Weather Center of the Central Weather Administration, the Taiwan Historica of the National Archives Administration, and the Gukeng Weather Station of the Central Weather Administration.
In the morning, Sheng-Chang Tsai, Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Culture at National Taipei University of Education, introduced the 1926 History of the Postal and Telegraph Services—Meteorology Section. Participants explored the development of modern meteorological technology in Taiwan, from its introduction in the mid-19th century through the mid-Japanese colonial period. Staff from the Southern Taiwan Weather Center then led a guided tour of the nationally designated historic site of the former Tainan Weather Observatory and the Central Weather Administration’s historical exhibition area. By examining archival records alongside historic architecture and the actual sites, participants gained a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s meteorological history and explored how cultural heritage can serve as a resource for classroom learning.
The afternoon session, “A Century of Weather: Translating History into Lessons,” was led by Ching-Yi Chang, Chair of NUTN’s Department of Cultural Resources, with guidance from experts in history, cultural heritage, archival studies, and meteorology. Participants worked in groups to develop lesson ideas from historical, geographical, scientific, and cultural heritage perspectives. AI tools were incorporated to assist with information organization, lesson planning, and content adaptation, enabling participants to transform century-old weather records into interdisciplinary teaching materials. In this way, historical documents moved beyond being records to be read and became resources that can be taught, learned from, and applied in educational settings.
NUTN noted that the “Weather Records Through the Ages” workshop series has progressively explored new ways to bring historical documents from archival collections and academic research into public education. Moving from AI-assisted creative interpretation in the first session to interdisciplinary lesson development in the second, the series demonstrates the educational potential of collaboration across cultural heritage and meteorology. By connecting historical archives, local heritage sites, and contemporary digital tools, NUTN continues to promote cultural heritage revitalization, interdisciplinary education, and knowledge translation, helping educators bring Taiwan’s history, culture, and meteorological science into the classroom.