The Best Debate Class Topics for Middle and High Schoolers

Searching for the best debate class topics? You’re in luck!

Debate class topics that grab students’ attention aren’t easy to come by. You often run into the same, monotonous prompts when scouring the web, but that ends now! In this article, we’re listing off some of the most engaging debate topics you’ll ever come across. These original speech and debate prompts will promote critical thinking among your students and more importantly, save you loads of time!

Pick through our list below or download our FREE printable for a master copy you can use in class!

Top Speech and Debate Class Topics

Education

• Should students have to take standardized tests?
• Should students be required to wear uniforms?
• Should students have to attend school on the weekends?
• Should students be allowed to use cellphones in class?
• Should students be disciplined for using curse words at school?
• Should students have to maintain a 3.0 GPA to play school sports?
• Should all students be required to participate in a sport?
• Will technology replace teachers in the future?

Animals

• Are snakes evil?
• Do chimpanzees speak their own language?
• Are pit bulls too dangerous to be household pets?
• Do pets live a secret life?
• Are bears friendlier than lions?
• Do hamsters make good pets?
• Do pet fish recognize their owners?
• Are birds smarter than squirrels?
• Do cats make good companions?
• Should zoos be banned?

Sports

• Are combat sports such as Boxing and MMA too violent?
• Are athletes overpaid?
• Is cheerleading a sport?
• Should tabletop games such as Poker and Chess be played at the Olympics?
• Should athletes be allowed to take performance enhancing drugs such as steroids?
• Should we create a women’s football league?
• Is it possible for androids to replace athletes?
• Should all sports be coed?
• Should there be an age requirement (18) to qualify and compete in professional sports?

Technology

• Do androids dream (of electric sheep)?
• Will flying cars replace ground vehicles in the future?
• Will drones replace postal workers in the future?
• Will we build underwater cities in the future?
• Can meal replacement pills cure world hunger?
•  Will scientists create a super soldier serum in the future?
• Should cloning be used to harvest human organs?
• Is time travel possible?
• Does a multiverse exist?
• Do human clones have a soul?
• Is virtual reality too dangerous?

Friends & Family

• Is ten siblings too many?
• Can friends be closer than family?
• Can you find true love on TV dating shows?
• Is love a product of the heart or mind?
• Should teenagers be allowed to marry?
• Can you have more than one best friend?
• Should elementary school students be allowed to date?
• Should parents/guardians have to ask permission to post pictures of their children online?
• Should parents be allowed to implant tracking devices in their children?

Entertainment

• Are video games too violent?
• Do television programs lower our intelligence?
• Does reality TV give us a false sense of reality?
• Are hip hop music lyrics too violent?
• Should children be allowed to watch R-rated movies?
• Should competitive video games be classified as “sports?”

Lifestyle

• Should parents limit their children’s television time?
• Should parents limit their children’s phone time?
• Should parents limit their children’s video game time?
• Should there be an age requirement to get tattoos?
• Should there be an age requirement to get piercings?
• Should middle schoolers be allowed to have jobs?

Holidays

• Should birthdays be a celebration of your parents (instead of yourself)?
• Should Santa’s elves demand better working conditions?
• Should students be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school?
• Should Halloween be counted as a holiday?
• Should dog moms and dog dads be allowed to celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day?
• Is there any point in making New Year’s resolutions?
• Should non-Christians be allowed to celebrate Christmas?
• Should fireworks have age restrictions?

Religion

• Should religion be taught in public schools?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Should you have to pay for the bible?
• Should God receive royalties from sales of the bible?
• Should you have to pay to attend worship services led by famous Christian artists?
• Should the United States adopt a national religion?
• Is religion dangerous?

Politics

• Should the government give children a monthly allowance?
• Should the death penalty be outlawed?
• Should marijuana be legalized?
• Is abortion a form of legal murder?
• Should the rich have to pay higher taxes than the poor?
• Should hate crimes be treated more severely than others?
• Should children have access to gender-affirming care?
• Which celebrity should be the next president?
• Will there ever be a New World Order?
• Should the US dismantle its borders?
• Should the US government switch from democracy to communism?
• Should for-profit prisons be outlawed?

Example Classroom Debate Activites

There are a multitude ways you can utilize our debate class topics to facilitate classroom activities…just be creative and see what you can come up with! If you’re having trouble, here are a couple we absolutely love and recommend:

Mini-debates

Mini-debates are quick debate rounds which last no longer than 10 minutes. A topic is drawn, and 2 students are selected to give alternating speeches lasting a minute each. The process is extremely simple and only requires a few materials, so you can set it up in. no time. Check out our article on Student Debate Rules to find out exactly how we organize mini-debates and gain access to our free resources!

Extemporaneous speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is an individual activity where students deliver a short speech on a select topic. Students draw three prompts from a hat and choose one to discuss in a formal speech. They have 30 minutes to take a position on the prompt and prepare or practice their delivery. Once the time is up, they present their speech to a panel of judges. Students are scored based on their delivery, and if there are multiple competitors, winners are chosen.

Final Words

This list of debate class topics should keep you occupied for the time being. Use them during classroom debate activities, and your students will experience thrilling discussions that engage their critical thinking processes and expand their young minds.

We plan to periodically update our list of the debate class topics, so keep checking back for more. Visit Classroom Camp on Facebook and “like” our page to get all our free resources as soon as they’re available. Until next time!