Reconstructing the history of light and the birth of photon: Integrating nature of science into introductory quantum mechanics

History of science (HOS) in physics education constitutes an established research domain, with many scholars arguing that HOS can support learners’ understanding of both scientific concepts and the nature of science (NOS). The history of light and the birth of quantum mechanics (QM), in particular, are philosophically rich domains whose historical development offers strong potential for NOS-focused science instruction. Despite this potential, HOS-informed approaches within QM and physics teaching have not yet become mainstream classroom practice. One major barrier is the limited availability of accessible HOS-based teaching resources that align with existing curriculum requirements and can be readily implemented by teachers. To address this gap, we present a reconstruction of the history of light, tracing developments from medieval theories of vision to the modern quantum concept of the photon through a sequence of eight historical episodes. The resulting narrative is an educational science story that aligns with introductory QM curriculum and is designed for flexible implementation across diverse educational contexts, including optics and QM instruction, while facilitating NOS learning in regular physics or science lessons. The educational story was pilot tested in a high school in the Philippines with year 9 students. Based on our implementation experience, in addition to the historical narrative, this paper also presents pedagogical strategies and practical guidance for classroom instruction. We discuss considerations for adoption of the story in regular schools, curriculum development, and NOS-related research.