Good Debate Topics

Good Debate Topics Bored of the same old debate topics repeated and reiterated at every competition? Here are a few good debate topics that you can choose from for the next time you organize a debate.

As a student, one topic which I remember always making the rounds of the debating circuit was, does violence in television and movies influence the way children behave? By the end of my learning years, I was sure that I had heard every argument that could have been made about the topic. After all, how many examples can you give from television and how many instances of juvenile delinquency can you cite that resulted from watching a violent film? Yes, violence has permeated the media but can we for once stop making it the staple fodder for all debate contests. I am sure that there is no lack of good debate topics that organizers and teachers can come up with and if there is, then here are some options that may be a welcome break from citing Mark Anthony's oft quoted, Friends, Romans, Countrymen... speech.

A good debate topic does not necessarily need to be a political topic. It can be funny, informative, contemplative, social, economical - the categories are endless. Debate topics for students need to be chosen keeping in mind the maturity level and understanding that they may be expected to have about the speech topic at hand. Always make a shortlist of topics that will seem interesting to the target audience. Ask for suggestions and if possible conduct a poll on which topic would be preferred by the students. This way you will sustain the interest of the audience.When you finalize a debate topic ensure that it has a focus area. With some topics the area to cover can be too wide making it an unsuitable topic for a debate with time restrictions.Try to avoid topics that are too controversial, at least for debate competitions at school level. At a younger age it may not be possible for the kids to understand the gravity and seriousness of certain issues and while they need the exposure, they also need proper understanding of the topic. The debate topics given below have been divided into three categories - topics for middle school students, high school students and college students.

Good Debate Topics for Middle School Students The speech topics for middle school students that have been listed below are debate topics about which the students will have some knowledge and opinion. There are a few political topics but most topics are those that affect their daily life.

 Superman, Spiderman, Batman - superheroes or misleading idols?  Should homework be banned?  Do video games really cause bad behavior in children?  Free travel and trade with Cuba: should it be allowed?  The 51st state in the US should be Washington D.C.  Are there aliens?  Bottled water: more harmful than good.  Single sex education system is better than a co-ed system.  Mobile phones in school - should we ban them?  Reading - is it the new style trend?  Does detention actually serve a purpose?  Are vampires real?  Junk food should be banned from public schools.  Thanks to social networking, there is no face-to-face interaction.  Is there life after death?  Are mermaids real?  Are Barbie dolls affecting the mental image we create for our appearance?

Good Debate Topics for High School Students Persuasive speech ideas that will interest a high school student can be a little difficult to decide. But the topics listed below may be good idea generators.  Which came first? Chicken or egg?  Is animal testing humane?  Euthanasia: Should the right to die be granted?  Paparazzi livelihood vs privacy of celebrities: what is important?  Pros and cons of the No Child Left Behind act.  Marijuana - legalize it for medicinal purposes.  Global warming is a figment of our imagination.  Should the death penalty be repealed?  Is the law easier on celebrities?  Should parental consent be made mandatory for underage pregnancy abortion?  Are school uniforms a good or a bad idea?  Recycling should be compulsory.  God: myth or reality?  Sex education - when is the right time to start it?  Media censorship - a necessary change?  Should the legal age allowing consumption of alcohol be raised?  Abortion - should it be banned.

Good Debate Topics for College Students College students are young adults who have informed opinions and the wherewithal to express themselves in a concise and intelligent manner. Given below are a few informative speech topics for college students.

 Evolution or creation: how did human beings come about?  Nuclear proliferation: will development of nuclear weapons fuel a third world war?  Quarter life crisis is the new midlife crisis?  Is the world going to end in 2012?  US military involvement in Iraq has done more good than harm.  Is co-habitation the replacement for marriage?  Human cloning should be allowed.  Will there be another Holocaust?  Do newborn babies remembers their past life?  Media consolidation: pros and cons.  Should same-sex partners have the same rights as heterosexuals?  Are we overworking ourselves?  The United States should eliminate its own weapons of mass destruction - do you agree or disagree?  Is the American dream overrated?  Is it justified to give a dictator a tit-for-tat treatment?  The Roman Catholic Church policy forbidding the use of contraception should be changed.  Should we encourage the belief that kids have in Santa Claus?

Hope these good debate topics for students serve the purpose the next time you are organizing a debate contest and do not want your audience (or competitors) to react with a loud groan as soon as the topic is announced. By Tulika Nair

More topics

 Should your class be permitted to go on a field trip this year?  Should students be required to wear uniforms at school?  Should you be permitted to choose whatever clothes you want to wear outside of school?  Should you be permitted to have a job such as mowing yards or baby-sitting if your grades are poor?  Should you be permitted to purchase or buy whatever you want to with your own money or allowance?  Should you be permitted to get any style of haircut you want?  Should you be permitted to have a birthday party and invite friends other than family?  Should you be allowed to go anywhere you want to with your friends?  Should you be given an allowance or maybe an increase in the amount of your allowance?  Should you be permitted to go to a PG-13 or R rated movie?  Should you be permitted to have or attend a sleep-over party?  Should you be permitted to have a pet?  Should you be permitted to join any group you want to--basketball, soccer, girl scouts, martial arts, or others?  Should you be required to do chores around the house? Which jobs?  Should you be permitted to have your own bedroom?  Should you have to dress up for those special occasions that your parents feel are important?  Should you be allowed to take up any hobby that you want to?  Should you be allowed to take lessons to play any musical instrument you like?  Should you be allowed to stay home when the family goes to visit someone for the day?  Should you be permitted to have a TV in your bedroom?  Should you be allowed to have your ears pierced or maybe pierce other body parts?  Should you be allowed to get a tattoo?  Should you be required to wear mandatory bicycle helmets?  Should you have homework assignments every night?  Should there be corporal punishment at school?  Does society have a right to put someone to death?  Should you have a curfew? If so, what time and on what days?  Should the cafeteria offer fast food lunches instead of cafeteria food.  Should school hours be changed to 12:00 to 6:00 pm.  Should students be allowed to bring their pets to school.  Why their favorite book is better than one the school makes them read.  Why they should have the freedom to choose their own bedtime.  Why they should be able to watch a certain program.  Why they should raise or lower the age to vote, smoke or drink.  Should kids between the ages of ten and thirteen be dropped off at the mall without adult supervision?  Should skateboards be allowed on sidewalks?  Should animals be used for scientific experimentation?  Should Pokemon cards be allowed in schools? and more...

Television is better than books.

Girls have it better than boys.

Cats make better pets than dogs.

Animals should not be kept in cages.

Computers should replace teachers.

School should be two hours longer.

Beauty is only skin deep.

The Olympics are a waste of money.

Has outsourcing of jobs left less jobs for American citizens?

Who has been the best President of the United States? Why?

Is there life even after death?

Is existence of peer pressure healthy?

Is home schooling a better option in today's world?

Are virtual chat rooms really safe for teenagers?

Charity should be made compulsory

Too much of television may hamper intellectual growth

Should sex education in schools be imparted earlier on?

Are live-in relationships justified? Is marriage necessary for living together?

Should the euthanasia laws be altered? Why?

God: Myth or Reality

Is the entire list of human rights justified in all member countries?

Are we all just behind money or do we care about what we really like to do? Are the arguments against gay marriages going to have any effect on their existence?

Life on Mars: True or False?

Are the reasons for illegal immigration justified? What steps should be taken to prevent it?

Should infidelity in marriage be forgivable?

Are we conveniently ignoring the side effects of birth control or are we really conscious about them?

Are real alien sightings really REAL?

Is there really any huge difference between morals and ethics?

Has the credit card been the major contributor to the problems in the US economy?

Are teen suicides more due to peer pressure or psychological problems?

Is vegetarianism a complete diet in its own?

Christina Aguilera vs Britney Spears: Who is a better singer?

Atheism vs Christianity

LED vs LCD monitor

Socialism vs capitalism

Notebook vs laptop

Football vs soccer

Spirituality vs religion

Homeschooling vs public school

Organic milk vs regular milk

Legal separation vs divorce

Tenants in common vs joint tenancy

American cars vs foreign cars

Federalists vs anti-federalists

Dictatorship vs democracy

Debit card vs credit card

Infatuation vs love Morals vs ethics

Big government vs small government

Real alien sightings: fact or fiction?

Should juveniles be tried as adults

Ghosts are people without bodies: agree or disagree?

How much is too much homework

Are video games good for you

Sex education for children should be compulsory.

Pros and cons of organic farming

Is Hinduism really a religion

Negative and positive effects of peer pressure

Computer and video games: the pros and cons

Does television affect your intelligence

Pros and cons of standardized testing

Can you change your habits

Emotions as blocks or lessons

How to prevent school violence

Does music affect plant growth

Effects of music on the mind and brain

Fame is a double edged sword

Spiderman or Superman

Part-Time Jobs Unidentified Flying Objects Bluetooth Technology Life on Mars TV Shows Friendship

Air Pollution Water Pollution Noise Pollution Organic Foods Obesity Animal Testing

Oscars Recycling Population Growth Drug Addiction Holocaust Generation Gap Internet Technology Globalization Gun Safety

Online Education Internet Privacy Illegal Immigration Employment Discrimination Terrorism Nuclear Weapons

Space Explorations Relationships Gay Marriages Gambling Outsourcing Teenage Smoking

Infidelity Advertising Dating Beauty Pageants Artificial Intelligence Homosexuality

Mass Media Deforestation Environmental Issues War Crimes Human Rights Astrology

World Religions Inflation Stem Cell Research Euthanasia Human Cloning Teenage Pregnancy

Birth Control Cosmetic Surgery Gene Therapy Artificial Insemination Death Penalty Robotics

Social Networking Acid Rain Magazines

Social Debate Topics for Middle School Students

Media is responsible for the rise in criminal cases against the youngsters.

Plastic bags should be completely banned.

Should cell phones be allowed in schools?

Uniforms create an environment conducive to studies in schools.

Should music and art education made compulsory for middle school students?

Single sex classrooms or co-education?

Should homework be given to school students?

Sex education will bring down teen pregnancy cases.

Can social networking websites replace face to face interaction?

Is vegetarianism good for health?

Should there be a censor for Internet?

Political Debate Topics for Middle School Students.

Should death penalty be banned in America?

Should the government invest more in alternative sources of energy? China is the new threat to America's supremacy.

Outsourcing jobs has led to unemployment in America.

Should America withdraw its troops from Afghanistan?

Should the embargoes on Cuba be lifted by the American government?

Should the Guantanamo prison be closed by the United States authorities?

Obama, Clinton, Bush - Who has been the best President?

Post recession, President of United States can no longer be referred to as the most powerful man in the world.

Unique Middle School Debate Topics

Taking up part-time jobs affects the grades of school students.

Vampires are as real as Santa Claus!

Harry Potter - The best in children's literature.

Studying and reading about things can not replace practical experience.

Egg came before chicken.

Life after death - Reality or myth?

Peer pressure makes a person realize his potential sooner.

Parents are always right.

Should school students wear make-up?

Beauty over brains or brains over beauty?

Teachers are essential for learning.

Education kills creativity.

Guys make better friends than girls.

Being famous or being content?

Retro music - Still a hot favorite?

People die, their spirits never do.

Good Debate Topics Choosing topics for debate is a challenge, both for teachers and students. Students at elementary level of education don't have the maturity, experience and knowledge to handle controversial topics and hence such topics are not an ideal choice for them. Very intriguing topics that require deep knowledge, facts and figures can also be very abstruse for elementary kids. Hence, parents and teachers should choose titles that are easier to research and kids in classes can discuss them with ease. Topics for elementary school students needn't be political and very tough. For elementary students, the topics can even be funny, easy and comfortable for all to understand and present their own views. The idea for choosing an apt speech topic should be to trigger analytical thinking skills in kids and improving classroom participation. Here are some good topics for elementary school students for debating.

 Books are better than television.  Importance of teachers in education.  Should computers replace teachers?  Should school uniform be got rid of?  Reading - an emerging trend or dying interest?  Should mobile phones be allowed in schools?  Junk food must be banned in schools.  Are Sports and games equally important as studies?  School attendance must be voluntary.  Homework should be banned.  Do violent video games trigger violent behavior in kids?  Are online chat rooms for kids necessary?  What household chores must kids be allowed to do?  Animals should not be kept in cages.  Should the school timings be increased?  Is there a life on Mars?  Do we learn from history?  Choosing a career must be based on percentage gained or interest area?  Is year round schooling necessary?  Participation in extra co-curricular activities is important in schools?  Are children over influenced by fashion these days?  Should children be involved in television advertising?  Should animals be used for scientific experiments?  Should skating be allowed on road side walks?  Should cartoon cards and accessories be allowed in schools.

Debating Tips: Dos and Don'ts

Dos Students participating in debates must ensure that they don't forget to:

 Greet 'good evening/morning' to respective authority.  Stand/Sit well in front of the timekeeper, judges and audience. In case, you're debating in a group that is sitting in a circle, make yourself comfortable. An alert body language displaying keen interest in the debate is necessary in group discussions.  Wait for formal announcements before the debate begins.  Applaud every speaker positively.  Use cue cards that you had prepared for debates properly.  Be silent while others are speaking and during judging time when adjudicators are awarding points.  Be in proper and neat uniform as per the occasion.  Arrive early before the scheduled time for debate. Coming 15 minutes before the scheduled time is good to make you comfortable at the venue.  Accept defeat positively and learn from mistakes. Ultimately, have fun.

Don'ts Students must avoid certain pitfalls while debating, like:

 Don't forget to greet important personnel like chairman etc. If adjudicators are a part of audience (they generally are), then you needn't greet them.  Don't include some team line or your school team punch before beginning the debate.  Don't use long sheets of paper to make a note of your arguments for debates.  Proper dress, hairstyle and presentation is crucial. This is to ensure that your mannerisms and appearance is not such that it distracts audience. Remember, they have come there to listen to you and hence don't diverge their attention by being differently dressed or in some crazy style.  In group discussions, don't interrupt other speakers personally or erratically. Be in the constraints of debate rules.  Using improper/derogatory comments must be avoided.  Ensure facts and figures are correct.

A good site for research - http://www.middleschooldebate.com/topics/topicresearch.htm