71 Undeniably Great Debate Topics for High School

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Give high schoolers the chance to channel their growing maturity into reasoned, structured arguments fueled by their passionate opinions and perspectives through the art of debate! All they need is a strong topic to debate and some ground rules, and they’re ready to go.

Find everything you need for facilitating great debates in your high school class. From good debate topics for high school to resources for structuring and crafting arguments, you’ll find everything you need for a fiery debate in any subject.

15 Fun Debate Topics for High School

Debates don’t have to always be super serious! Keep students engaged with a collection of fun debate topics and “would you rather” questions for high school students that they’ll enjoy talking about.

• Are fries better with ranch or ketchup?
• Is GIF pronounced gihf or jihf?
• Would it be better to be trapped in an amusement park or a library?
• Is mayonnaise good?
• Would life be better in space or underwater?
• Is it better to have superpowers or unlimited money?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Is it ever acceptable to wear socks with sandals?
• What’s scarier: one hundred mouse-sized dinosaurs or one dinosaur-sized mouse?
• Why should you be the leader in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
• Is a hot dog a sandwich?
• Should the United States implement mandatory naps for everyone up to age 18?
• Is it okay to eat pizza with a knife and fork?
• Who would win in a fight: Wonder Woman or Batman?
• Should texting language be in the dictionary?

Encourage engaging debates with weird and light-hearted topics

Less-serious topics engage students and help them practice public speaking skills through a low-stakes activity. You can even let your class come up with the wacky topics they’ll argue. 

Fun Debate Topics Persuasive Speaking Activity Middle School, High School
By Lindsay Ann Learning
Grades: 6th-9th
Subjects: English Language Arts, Speaking & Listening
Standards: CCSS SL.9-10.4, 9-10.6; CCRA.SL.6

An interactive set of Google Slides introduces students to the basics of speech and debate in class. Complete with 34 slides including blank, customizable slides, a form for peer feedback, and a set of teacher notes for implementation, this no-prep activity is a great way to practice CCSS for speaking and listening.

13 Controversial High School Debate Topics 

Most teenagers have strong opinions about relevant topics in their everyday lives. Facilitate a respectful discussion when you bring these controversial debate topics or writing prompts for high school to your classroom 

• Are immigration laws in the United States fair?
• Should American voters be required to show identification at the polls?
• Would it be better to raise taxes to provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Is racism still prevalent in the United States?
• When should teenagers have the right to vote?
• Should your school have the right to make decisions about high schoolers’ nutrition?
• Is war more or less ethical with unmanned planes and drones?
• Would it be better for all countries to give up their nuclear weapons, or for all countries to be equipped with nuclear weapons?
• When should it be okay for teenagers to drink alcohol?
• Should kids under 18 have a curfew?
• Is it acceptable for citizens to block traffic when protesting?
• Should high school students be allowed to drop out of school when they want?
• Should schools require their students to be vaccinated?

Practice perspective-taking by exploring pros and cons

How strong are your students’ arguments when testing against a counterargument? Help high schoolers practice taking different perspectives when they form fully fledged arguments that survive an opposing opinion.

Perspective Taking Activity with Debate Topics for Middle and High School
By Basically Speeching
Grades: 6th-9th
Subjects: School Counseling

High schoolers create pros and cons for their debate topics with a resource that comes with everything you need for a full-class debate. With lesson instruction pages and editable topic cards (as well as pre-populated topic cards), this speech-and-debate resource guides students through picking and supporting one side of an argument.

13 Modern Debate Topics for Secondary Students

Living in the 21st century is something your students know a lot about! Use debate topics for high schoolers that they know well, from social media usage to the reach of artificial intelligence.

• Should students under 18 be allowed to have social media accounts?
• Do online friends count as real friends?
• Should students be allowed to use AI on their homework assignments?
• Which is more harmful: online videos or endless television?
• Should high schools give up one year of history in favor of a financial literacy class?
• When should kids be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should grades matter a lot when it comes to a student’s future career?
• How much responsibility should corporations have in ending climate change?
• Should it be illegal to create cars dependent on non-renewable resources?
• When is it okay for employers to look up employees’ social media?
• Should high school focus on digital skills more than academic skills?
• Should parents be allowed to select their children’s DNA?
• Will AI ever completely replace the role of a teacher?

Take turns defending a stance with group debates

Not every debate is mano a mano. Teach students about the mechanics and value of group debates with a number of persuasive topics.

Philosophical Chairs: An engaging class or group debate over any topic, Google
By Creativity Overload Lessons and Designs
Grades: 6th-12th
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Standards: CCSS RI.7.1; CCRA.R.8; CCRA.SL.4

You’ve heard of musical chairs, but now it’s time for philosophical chairs! This CCSS-aligned debate resource uses digital graphic organizers for groups to fill out their claim, reasons, evidence, and counterargument before engaging in short debates with an opposing group. 

15 Formal Debate Topics for High School

Once your high schoolers have mastered the basics of debate, it’s time for more advanced argument concepts. Use these logical debate topics to teach them about syllogisms, logical fallacies, and deductive reasoning.

• Billionaires should be able to earn and keep as much money as they want.
• Music and art are as valuable as math and science.
• Students should not be informed about the news.
• Drunk drivers should never be allowed to drive again.
• Students should have their college loans forgiven after working for five years.
• Thriving countries should be required to share their resources.
• High school should last six years instead of four.
• Religion is a positive factor in any society.
• A vegan diet is the only ethical way to eat.
• All citizens should be required to fulfill military service.
• Football should be banned for kids under 16.
• People should have the right to breed their pets.
• Human rights should come before animal rights.
• The American government should be able to censor hate speech.
• Parents have the right to track their child’s location.

Solidify discussion structure for logical debates

One value of speech and debate in the modern classroom is learning how to tell the difference between well-supported, well-structured arguments and arguments formed on fallacies and weak support. Help students tell the difference (and form more substantial arguments) with the rules and structure of formal debates.

Structured Classroom Debate for Any Topic with Laws of Logic & Logical Fallacies
By Leah Cleary
Grades: 9th-12th
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies

A true debate takes more planning than speaking. Use this complete debate structure resource, complete with student graphic organizers, rubrics, and guided notes, to show students how much they’ll need to prepare for an upcoming formal debate.

15 Quick High School Debate Topics 

Sometimes you only have enough class time for a quick debate. Use these simple topics for those moments when a deep discussion isn’t on the schedule or when focusing on parliamentary debate skills.

• Should video gaming be in the Olympics?
• Is it better to start school later or end school earlier?
• Does listening to an audiobook count as reading a book?
• Is it ever okay to lie to a friend?
• Should pets be allowed to go into restaurants?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• Is it more important to learn a sport or an instrument?
• Are field trips a good use of learning time?
• Is homework more important than extracurriculars?
• Should schools have dress codes?
• Is being famous better than being skilled?
• If we discovered aliens, should they be allowed to live in our society?
• Should school require you to earn volunteer hours?
• Is it ever okay to cheat on a test?
• Are online influencers as famous as movie stars?

Craft 30-second speeches for fast-paced discussions

Not every argument needs a long preparation process. Get students ready for parliamentary debate settings and practice important communication skills with debate topics that encourage high schoolers to think (and speak) on their feet.

AVID Public Speaking Digital Activity – 30 Second Speeches
By KJ Inspired Resource
Grades: 5th-12th
Subjects: Classroom Community, School Counseling
Standards: CCSS CCRA.SL.1, SL.4, SL.6

Perfect for AVID or any other speech-focused setting, this guided resource takes students through the process of quick debates. Groups of 4-6 students have 30 seconds to present their argument with the help of Google Slides that have embedded timers and topic suggestions.

Ideas for Hosting High School Debates

Whether you’re leading a debate club or teaching students about the basics in class, you’ll want to give them the foundations for a well-crafted debate. 

• Use topics from your own subject matter in debates, such as history (Should the United States have entered World War II sooner?), literature (Did Atticus Finch give a strong enough argument in To Kill a Mockingbird?), or science (Should humans be allowed to make their own clones?).
• Bring in debate topics after a persuasive writing unit. Then, students can adapt the persuasive papers they wrote into public debates.
• Show students examples of famous historical debates, including U.S. presidential debates that changed elections.
• Allow students to take turns moderating debates when they’re not assigned a topic.
• Consider different debate formats for students to try, including the Socratic method or cross-examination debates.
• Use debate topics as journal prompts for high school when students enter the classroom. They can use their responses as the start of a new debate!
• Invite 12th graders to craft a debate for their senior project. They can join with another student who has prepared a counterargument and present their debate in front of the class.
• Connect with official speech and debate organizations, such as the National Speech & Debate Association, for more classroom resources on hosting debates.

There’s no debating these valuable TPT resources

When it comes to debate topics for high school, it’s all about igniting students’ passion for argument. Use these topics and more high school debate resources to get teenagers thinking about their own perspectives, the perspectives of others, and how both sides of an argument may ultimately lead to a shared solution.