Social studies curriculum are developed with an interdisciplinary approach in Turkey
(M.E.B., 2006). That is, the knowledge produced by the scholars of social sciences that are
regarded as the basis for social studies such as history, geography, economics, sociology and
so on is integrated in the curriculum in a way that in one lesson teaching and learning actives
might be involving the knowledge and/or methods of all the social sciences mentioned above
(Safran, 2004). Thus, social studies education in Turkey not only covers a wide range of
knowledge bases produced by social sciences but also methodological approaches employed
by social sciences in terms of skills education (Ata, 2012). Turkish social studies curriculum
states that pupils should be educated to have knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Those
knowledge covers a very wide range of information from ancient Turkish history to
geography, from culture to trade in nine different themes (from 4th grade to 7th grades) very
much the same NCSS’ definition of social studies and learning areas (NCSS, 1992 cited by
Ozturk & Dilek, 2005).