Nature vs. Nurture At the same time, students in the Social Studies classroom begin to investigate the essential question, "Why do human beings act the way they do?" Students explore the Nature vs. Nurture debate. "Do human beings act the way they do because of genetics or do human beings act the way they do because of their environment?" Students read and discuss material presenting both sides of the issue. They are then asked to connect this material to their own life experiences and to the play.