Özet:

Theoretically, the basic aim of the teaching social studies at the primary level, is to prepare the new generations to the social life. Thus, the knowledge, experience and skills that students acquire during the social studies courses may help students to overcome difficulties that they can meet during their real life. However, the superficial coverage of social issues with sweeping statements can be seen throughout the pages of every Turkish social studies textbooks. They seem to give numerous suggestions and advices on how to behave in daily life. The social contexts are often portrayed in a way that everything is extraordinary, free of problems without including any mistakes or faults. The present study aims at making real life issues as part of Social Studies courses via newspapers and news related to the curriculum content. The discussion of the news enables students expose social issues of all kinds. More specifically, it aims to provide opportunities for students to examine, question and search for solutions for the real life issues obtained through newspapers on moral, cognitive and empathetic grounds. The designed teaching sequence was put into practice in Elementary Schools placed in Istanbul. The field notes concerning the perceptions of students who are involved in the teaching and their written and oral products obtained during the teaching formed the main data sources. The research outcome indicates that third and fifth grades students, albeit having no experience such teaching before, are able to examine and evaluate social issues obtained through newspapers from moral, cognitive and empathetic grounds.

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