<![CDATA[Social Studies learning often relies heavily on textbooks, which can reduce student motivation and disconnect them from their real-world environment. Utilizing local history resources in Central Halmahera offers a highly contextual alternative. This study aims to analyze the forms, methods, and influence of local historical sources on students' learning motivation in Social Studies classes at SMP Negeri 1 (Central Halmahera). This qualitative descriptive study involved Social Studies teachers, students, and community figures as purposively selected informants. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and document review, and subsequently analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. The results identified four categories of local historical sources utilized: oral (origin stories from customary leaders), material (artifacts and historical sites), written (which remain limited), and environmental. The implementation of the group investigation strategy successfully shifted students' positioning from passive recipients to active information seekers. The findings indicated an increase in students’ engagement across six observed motivation-related indicators: attention, active participation, curiosity, enthusiasm, persistence, and concern. Supporting factors included active community involvement and students' emotional proximity to the material, whereas hindering factors comprised scarce written literature and time constraints. Conclusively, local history integration facilitates knowledge construction through direct environmental interaction, strengthening intrinsic motivation based on social constructivism principles. It is strongly recommended that regional governments and schools collaborate to document local history and develop school-based archives to ensure sustainable contextual learning.]]>
