The Utilization of Local Historical Resources in Middle School History Teaching—A Case Study of Kaifeng

Abstract

The history curriculum is a crucial course for fulfilling the fundamental task of cultivating students' moral character and focuses on developing students' essential literacy skills. However, in the actual teaching of middle school under the pressure of exam-oriented education, the history curriculum has transformed into a course focused on explaining historical knowledge. Students are constantly required to memorize and recite more content, which results in increased stress levels. In specific teaching, teachers often simply list knowledge points and mechanically read from history textbooks, encouraging students to memorize historical backgrounds, events, and their significance. This approach fails to stimulate students' interest in learning. From certain perspectives, the development and utilization of local historical resources are among the most effective methods to enhance students' analytical and practical skills, boost teaching efficiency, and enrich teaching activities. As frontline history educators, we should utilize the abundant local historical resources and integrate them into historical teaching activities to enhance the learning experience and effectively accomplish teaching objectives. Kaifeng, Henan, as a historical and cultural city, boasts rich local historical and cultural resources, providing unparalleled advantages for implementing local history teaching. This article uses Kaifeng as a case study to examine the utilization of local historical resources in junior high school history teaching.