• Enduring Issues

    Enduring issues are the problems and concerns that people have had to deal with for all time.  While they may have appeared differently at different times, or in different places, they have always been there- and they will be there for you to deal with during your lifetime as well.  These issues are a thread that will be a part of your Social Studies classes for the remainder of your time in West Seneca.  More importantly, they will be a part of your life long after you are out of school.

    You will add many more to this list as each year of school passes.  These six are just a start that we'll use this year.


    Effect of Urbanization- As cities build and grow, they have an effect on the people around them, and in them.  What is the result of the growth of cities (urban) and people moving to them. Is the change from people living in a rural (farming) area to living in an urban (city) area a good thing for the people?  For the environment?


    Human Rights- These are the things we should be able to do. What do we have a “right” to?  Why? What is a right?  Who/ What gives us these “rights”.  Does everyone have the same rights?  Should everyone have the same rights?


    Man and the Environment- What effect does man have on the environment?  Are we a part of the environment?  Is it there for us to use, or to protect?


    Human Migration- This is the mass movement of people from place to place in the world.  What do these great changes do to the people who move?  What do they do to the people or place them leave or enter?


    Effect of Industrialization- This is the change of doing things by hand or with very simple machines to increasingly more complicated technology.  Do we rely on machines too much?  What is better about machine made products?  What’s better about hand made products?  What does having work done by machines do to the workers, or to the owners of the factories?


    Modern Culture versus Traditional Culture- That is the shift away from the old way of doing things or thinking to newer ways.  Is the change from old to new better?  Why keep the old ways?  Why change?  Is “new” always an improvement?