Smart Embedded Classroom: AI-Enabled Teaching Demonstration Class (Part 3)
[Tianshui Shangsi Classroom]
—— A Record of the Comprehensive Group Teaching Practice Sharing
When history meets AI, and the red boat sails into the classroom, a unique local course quietly unfolds at Tianshui Primary School in Hangzhou.
On November 21, in an AI-enabled class themed “Following the Footsteps of Heroes – The Modern Turmoil of Zhejiang”, students traveled through a century of time, touching the spiritual pulse of Zhejiang heroes amidst the fusion of technology and humanities.
1
Comparing Past and Present to Awaken Historical Awareness
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At the beginning of the class, Teacher Feng Lijia used high-definition images to compare the modern cityscapes of Hangzhou and Jiaxing with the war-torn cities of Zhejiang in the past—towering buildings vs. smoke-filled skies, Qiantang River tides vs. the suffering of the people. The strong visual impact instantly ignited students’ thoughts on “how this land has come to today”. The topic “Following the Footsteps of Heroes” was naturally introduced, setting the emotional tone for the entire class.
2
AI Facilitates Role Dialogue, Activating Critical Thinking
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In the “Understanding Heroes, Grasping Spirit” segment, AI technology became a bridge for students to “dialogue” with historical figures. The Xinhai Revolution group transformed into “Zhejiang Daily Junior Reporters”, using AI to simulate interviews with heroes like Qiu Jin and Xu Xilin: “Why are you willing to die?” “Were you ever afraid?” The AI-generated realistic responses made heroes no longer just names in textbooks, but living beings; the May Fourth Movement group engaged in a cross-standpoint debate between “students and industrialists”: one side advocated burning Japanese goods to show patriotism, while the other called for “revitalizing industry as the fundamental solution”. AI assisted in organizing logical viewpoints, guiding students to understand the diverse dimensions of patriotic expression.
3
Unlocking the Red Boat’s Code Through Puzzles, Immersing in the First National Congress of the Communist Party
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The most eye-catching segment was “Looking at the Red Boat, Witnessing New Life”. Students worked in groups to complete a “Red Boat Digital Puzzle”; with each piece assembled, a historical document appeared on the screen: background of the meeting, list of representatives, reasons for moving to Nanhu… When the last piece was put together, the red boat of Nanhu slowly sailed into view, accompanied by a solemn narration: “In 1921, a monumental event was born here.” Technology was no longer just a tool, but a “dream creator” for historical contexts.
4
Formulating Research Plans to Bring History into the Future
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At the end of the class, students, in groups, referred to previous students’ “Retracing the Red Army’s Path” cases to write a “Learning Plan for Following the Footsteps of Heroes”. From “visiting the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s royal palace” to “exploring Qiu Jin’s former residence in Shaoxing”, the children promised through action: remembering is the best inheritance.
Throughout the class, students were actively engaged and their thinking was vibrant. In tasks such as AI dialogue, situational debates, and red boat puzzles, the children not only gained a deep understanding of significant historical events and heroes in modern Zhejiang but also deepened their understanding of “patriotism”, “responsibility”, and “commitment” through critical thinking and empathy.
After class, Teacher Feng shared the design rationale of this lesson, and teachers inside and outside the group exchanged their thoughts on the lesson. Teacher Xie Wen stated: “AI is not a replacement, but a spark. We do not use AI to replace teachers, but to ignite students’ curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking.” Teacher Tao Shuhan pointed out: “This lesson cleverly integrates various intelligent tools such as AI dialogue and interactive puzzles, yet always centers on ‘people’—forging the soul with heroic spirit and nurturing students with Zhejiang stories.”
Finally, Principal He Xiaorong and Vice Principal Yan Xia provided comments and summaries on this lesson.
Principal He pointed out that the entry of artificial intelligence technology into the classroom is valuable when it is “reasonable” and focuses on “compliance”. Based on curriculum standards and student development needs, teachers must ensure data security, respect cognitive laws, and use AI selectively and thoughtfully, allowing AI technology to truly become a driving force for improving teaching quality and nurturing core competencies.
Vice Principal Yan summarized that this lesson cleverly combines AI empowerment with the educational goals of local courses, using AI technology as a bridge to transform the heroic stories from modern Zhejiang into tangible, thoughtful, and participatory learning experiences. The role of technology serves to create situational contexts, support critical dialogue, and assist in value internalization, truly reflecting the teaching wisdom of “intelligence used for education” and providing a reference example for our school to explore the integration of moral education and local courses.
Text: Wang Yin
Images: School Teachers
Editor: Tao Shuhan
Reviewer: He Xiaorong