Weather Forecasting

This Library of Congress Student Discovery Set is here to put history into your hands. It brings together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents from the collections of the Library of Congress. Interactive tools let you zoom in for close examination, draw to highlight interesting details, and make notes about what you discover. There’s no single right answer, only new discoveries to be made.


Weather affects everything in our lives, including the ability to grow food, travel to see loved ones, or remain safe. People have always looked for patterns in the weather, hoping to make accurate forecasts. Data charts, photographs, drawings, and newspaper articles document how weather forecasting has changed over time.


This set is intended for open-ended primary source analysis by students. A Teacher’s Guide with background information, teaching ideas, and additional resources is available on the Library’s Web site for teachers, loc.gov/teachers.