The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the case study method used in Social Studies lessons on the development of fifth-grade students’ earthquake awareness. The study was conducted based on the learning outcome “Organizing awareness activities to reduce the effects of disasters that may occur in one’s locality,” included in the Social Studies Curriculum. A qualitative research approach was adopted, and the study was designed as a case study. The study group consisted of fifth-grade students selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through structured worksheets administered following the case study activities and a semi-structured interview form and were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that students’ earthquake awareness was structured around five main themes: preparedness awareness, appropriate behavior during an earthquake, safe building awareness, social solidarity, and post-disaster life skills. Furthermore, students reported that the case study method helped them relate earthquakes to real-life contexts, contributed to more lasting learning, and helped them feel more aware of how to respond in the event of a possible earthquake. Overall, the findings indicated that the case study method was an effective instructional approach for developing students’ earthquake awareness not only at the knowledge level but also across cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. Accordingly, it is recommended that case-based teaching practices be more widely incorporated into disaster education and that instructional materials be enriched with real-life scenarios.

: Social Studies, case-based learning, earthquake awareness, disaster educa-tion, case study.