An enduring issue is an important (significant) problem or challenge that has affected many people (in the past and
today) that many has competing solutions.
Enduring Issues / Themes
Conflict is a serious disagreement or
argument.
Power is the influence or control over
the behavior of people and it is a part of
every human interaction.
Inequality when one person or group of
people do not have as much power or
opportunity as others. Human Rights
are basic rights and freedoms to which all
humans are entitled.
An innovation is a new method of
addressing a problem. Technology
Interconnectedness is the state of
having connections or relationships with
other people.
Our ideas and beliefs impact /shape the
way we look at the world.
Environmental Impact
Our environment is the area around us
in which we live. We are affected by our
environment and we have an effect on it
Scarcity is the state of not having
enough of something. Everything we use
in our daily life comes from the Earth
and there is a limited supply of resources
on this planet.
Population growth occurs when more
people are born than die and for most of
global history, the number of people on
Earth has increased.
Cooperation is the process of working
together to achieve the same goal.
Security is the ability of a government to
protect itself from domestic and foreign
threats to its way of life
Tensions Between Traditional
Culture and Modernization
Impact of Trade which is the action of
buying and selling a good or service
Impact of Cultural Diffusion
The exchange of ideas between different
cultural groups through trade or war. It
Nested Issues / Key Ideas
War, fighting over resources, religious tension, conquering, invasions,
resistance, dispute over boundaries, disputes over power etc.
Unfair distribution of power, shifts in power and authority, power struggles,
relationship of ruler to ruled, social class tensions, ability of the people to have
a voice in government (consent of the governed/social contract), leadership,
etc.
Division of social classes, lack of access to resources, rights not protected, lack
of fairness, unequal participation in government, inequitable treatment, lack of
access to jobs, etc.
Inventions, new ideas, golden ages, new technology, effects of technology use,
faster methods of building/production, etc.
Trade, cultural diffusion, different people living/working together, spread of
ideas, spread of disease, exploring, trade organizations, etc.
Belief systems, new ideas, philosophy, political ideology, beliefs about society,
racism, terrorism, ways of looking at the world, etc.
Adapting to environment, challenges of the environment, farming, resources,
food, trade routes, etc.
Not having enough resources, trading for resources, trade networks,
exchanges, self-sufficiency, traditional economy, etc.
strain on resources, strain on housing, increase in waste and need to address
waste disposal, sanitation conditions/strain on sanitation systems, healthcare
needs, ability to feed and /or to educate population,
need for social services, debate over population policies
Trade, cultural diffusion, sharing of ideas, working together, treaties, meeting
of leaders, military alliances, working together as a society etc.
threats to privacy and property, terrorism, lack of safety, nuclear proliferation,
biological, chemical and nuclear weapons of mass destruction, role of
technology in protecting and harming security; debates over espionage,
protection of sovereignty/ borders/frontiers, debate over formation of
alliances/membership in an alliance, protection from disease
loss of cultural identity, language, traditional beliefs, traditional gender
roles versus modern gender roles, disputes over gender roles, role of ethnic
identity and power, ethnic tensions, religious identity, tensions between
religious identity and modernization efforts, debate over definition of
modernization and/or westernization as modernization, difficulty of
maintaining traditions in a time of change
integration or rejection of technology, goods and new ideas, economic
sanctions, boycotts, embargoes, imposing/levying tariffs, loss of jobs,
distribution of/access to new goods, loss of cultural identity, language and
traditional beliefs, impact on levels of poverty, the environment, trade
agreements and balance of trade; economic costs, political, economic and social
benefits and/or cost, attempts to expand trade and restrict trade; ability to
participate in global trade, spread of disease
loss of/threats to cultural identity, unique language(s), traditional beliefs;
spread of disease, impact of introduction of new species (invasive/noninvasive),
conflict, debate over change, benefits or challenge of imported technology,
transportation and communication; debate over and the (un)intended
occurs through the movement of people
and goods.
Impact of Industrialization
transformed of a society from primarily
agricultural to one based on the
manufacturing of goods using machines
and other advanced technology
Impact of Urbanization
Movement of people from rural/farming
areas to cities caused by rapid
industrialization
Impact of Nationalism
A strong feeling of pride in one’s
country, nation or ethnic groups
Impact of Imperialism /Empire
Building – taking over of a weaker
nation by a stronger one
Impact of Colonization - the action of
settling among and establishing control
over the indigenous people of an area.
Impact of Decolonization – process by
which colonies become independent from
the colonizers
Impact of Globalization - a process of
interaction and integration among the
people, companies, and governments of
different nations, driven by trade and
investment and aided by information
technology.
Impact of Migration – the movement of
people from one place to another with
the intention on settling permanently or
temporarily
consequences of accepting a new good, new idea, philosophy, religion and the
pace of change of such
low wages, poor working conditions, unsafe working conditions, use of child
labor, unequal wages for similar work, need for regulations, need for reform,
unionization, pollution, carbon emissions, consequence of industrialization,
outsourcing jobs, demand for resources, water, energy, transportation and
infrastructure; impact of industrialization on agriculture, standard of living,
longevity, decline in birthrate, growth of comparative wealth, status of women,
rise of socialism, impact of welfare state, sociopolitical reactions/development
of sociopolitical philosophies
overcrowding, challenge to meet housing/shelter needs, need to address waste
disposal/sanitation, ability to keep order, provide protection, clean drinking
water and prevent the spread of disease; availability of jobs, increased demand
for water, for energy sources, transportation and infrastructure; loss of rural
areas, wilderness and forested areas; development/growth of squatter
settlements, impact on status of women and family structure; access to/demand
for education
secession, demand for a shift in the boundaries, reaction to new boundaries,
citizenship/what does it mean to belong/what does it mean not to belong,
force of unification, force of division, development of national cohesion,
dissolution of national cohesion, lack of national cohesion, emergence of
separatism, use of terrorism, manipulation of nationalistic feelings/ultranationalism, manipulation of belief systems to incite conflict
challenge of securing resources, controlling land, maintaining control of
territory and of exerting power (economic, social and political); ability to
supply people and protect citizens in controlled territories; conflicting world
views, maintaining and/or loss of cultural identity and/or ethnic identity and
traditions; challenges to religious practices, loss of political control, managing
change, resistance, response to resistance, resentment, exploitation,
segregation, discrimination, disputes, conflict, improvements to healthcare,
introduction of new diseases, improvements to infrastructure, loss of jobs,
Cost, rate and (un)intended consequences of cultural change; changes in
people’s diets/dress/housing/music and traditional culture; threats to
traditional culture and language(s), access to information, education, jobs/job
opportunities, threats or costs to sustainability, debate over sustainability,
ability to maintain unique cultural traits, support for cultural
divergence/convergence, use of a common language, displacement of
industries/companies and jobs; impact on human capital, consequences of
interdependence; economic/political advantages, risks, and challenges; effects
of global debt crises, challenges of illegal trade; debate over spread of
technology and reduction in barriers and elimination of inefficiencies, hostility
and protest against globalization; impact of migration, cooperative economic
efforts, cooperative political efforts, the media, blended cultural ideas (music,
language, technology, healthcare), power of transnational corporations,
importance of international workers, devaluation of diversity, politics of
diversity
Challenges/efforts to integrate/reaction /acceptance of immigrants, migrants,
outsiders/those who are different and refugees; problems faced by refugees,
disenfranchisement, strains on housing, impact of squatter settlements, strains
on social welfare systems, availability of jobs, access to citizenship, debate over
granting citizenship to
immigrants, economic costs of accepting migrants, threats to or change to
culture as a result of accepting immigrants, economic
contributions of immigrants/migrants, debate over economic benefits provided
by immigrants/migrants, benefit of cultural contributions of
immigrants/migrants, impact of outmigration on homeland
Enduring Essay Outline
Step # 1: Identify an Enduring Issue in the Documents




Look in the documents for evidence of challenges or problems then identify an enduring issue based on what you
find.
If you see evidence of an enduring issue in the documents that you did not learn in class but you feel confident
about then choose that one.
Instead of choosing “conflict,” try identifying an enduring issue like “conflict between ethnic groups” or “civil wars”
which is really choosing an enduring issue and a nested issue that stresses a key idea that involves the enduring
issue.
Along with connecting the enduring issue to a related nested issue, you will also want to identify the causes and/or
effects of an enduring issue. For example, “conflict caused by competition over resources” or “conflict has led to
human rights violations.”
Step # 2 – Create Outline
Introduction
General Statement:
Throughout world history they have been many (enduring issue w/o nested issue) ___________________.
Specific Statement:
(Enduring issue w/o nested issue) __________________________ is defined as______________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
(Enduring issue with nested issue) __________________________________________ has impacted the
lives of many people throughout the world.
Thesis Statement: Establish a Claim and Identify Examples
(Enduring issue with nested issue) _______________________________________________ is a significant
enduring issues because (argument why the issue is significant two effects if has been having on the lives of
people from the documents)_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ as demonstrated by (list of examples that
will be discussed in the essay to show the issue has endured and is significant ) _______________________
_______________________________________, ________________________________________________,
___________________________________________________________________________.
Body Paragraph # 1 – First Example of the Enduring Issue in History
Topic Sentence:
Write a sentence that Identifies an example of the enduring issue + nested issue in history which also
includes a subordinating (middle or beginning) and/or an appositive.
Context / Background:
Describe the historical and geographic context of the example by citing and introducing from the
document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
When and where did the example take place?
Who was involved?
How did it happen?
Explain how the historical and geographic factors you identified help to cause the event?
Argument:
Describes how people were affected by the enduring issue or how people affected it in the example by
citing and introducing evidence from the document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
Concluding Sentence:
Connect the paragraph to the overall thesis statement. Transition to the topic of the next paragraph.
Body Paragraph # 2 – Second Example of the Enduring Issue in History
Topic Sentence:
Write a sentence that Identifies an example of the enduring issue + nested issue in history which also
includes a subordinating (middle or beginning) and/or an appositive.
Context / Background:
Describe the historical and geographic context of the example by citing and introducing from the
document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
When and where did the example take place?
Who was involved?
How did it happen?
Explain how the historical and geographic factors you identified help to cause the event?
Argument:
Describes how people were affected by the enduring issue or how people affected it in the example by
citing and introducing evidence from the document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
Concluding Sentence:
Connect the paragraph to the overall thesis statement. Transition to the topic of the next paragraph.
Body Paragraph # 3 – First Example of the Enduring Issue in History
Topic Sentence:
Write a sentence that Identifies an example of the enduring issue + nested issue in history which also
includes a subordinating (middle or beginning) and/or an appositive.
Context / Background:
Describe the historical and geographic context of the example by citing and introducing from the
document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
When and where did the example take place?
Who was involved?
How did it happen?
Explain how the historical and geographic factors you identified help to cause the event?
Argument:
Describes how people were affected by the enduring issue or how people affected it in the example by
citing and introducing evidence from the document(s) and/or relevant outside information.
Concluding Sentence:
Connect the paragraph to the overall thesis statement. Transition to the topic of the next paragraph.
Conclusion
Restate the thesis:
Explains how the issue has continued to be an issue and has changed over time with reference to the
examples in the essay and additional modern-day examples.
Example # 1:
Example # 2:
Explain why the issue is significant and has endured