General Studies: Major Issues

Subject: Personal & Social Education
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 16 - 18
Order Number: 3069

This booklet is for students of General Studies at A Level. It offers views on some major issues raised in the AQA AS and A2 General Studies (Syllabus A and B) and recent examinations. The GCSE syllabus was also noted. This resource consists of 40 short 'for and against' essays designed to help students explore 30 issues. The issues are:

• UK democracy
• Marriage
• EU
• Atheism
• Law
• Fashion Industry
• Smoking
• America
• Cannabis/ecstasy
• Voting
• Death
• Free press
• Censorship
• Society
• Abortion
• Religion in school
• GM Food
• Republicanism
• Nuclear power
• Unions

Examiners consistently point to the difficulty students have in writing short essays - here is a wealth for them to read and discuss. Comprehension questions and extension activities are also provided.

This material is also in 'For and Against - English' or 'For and Against Citizenship', both published by Classroom Resources. These contain significant material not relevant to this subject. This new selection is specifically relevant for General Studies.

Students enjoy these essays, rarely is there only one answer to a question and these essays help students develop confidence in exploring new issues and understanding the complexity of modern life. This, surely, is the real aim of General Studies!