A chiral quark-model approach is adopted to study the γp → π 0 p and γn → π 0 n reactions. Good descriptions of the total and differential cross sections and single-polarization observables are obtained from the pion production threshold up to the second resonance region. It is found that (i) the n = 0 shell resonance ∆(1232)P 33 , the n = 1 shell resonances N(1535)S 11 and N(1520)D 13 , and the n = 2 shell resonance N(1720)P 13 play crucial roles in these two processes. They are responsible for the first, second and third bump structures in the cross sections, respectively. (ii) Furthermore, obvious evidences of N(1650)S 11 and ∆(1620)S 31 are also found in the reactions. They notably affect the cross sections and the polarization observables from the second resonance region to the third resonance region. (iii) The u-channel background plays a crucial role in the reactions. It has strong interferences with the s-channel resonances. (iv) The t-channel background seems to be needed in the reactions. Including the t-channel vector-meson exchange contribution, the descriptions in the energy region E γ = 600 ∼ 900 MeV are improved significantly. The helicity amplitudes of the main resonances, ∆(1232)P 33 , N(1535)S 11 , N(1520)D 13 , N(1720)P 13 , N(1650)S 11 , and ∆(1620)S 31 , are extracted and compared with the results from other groups.