150 debate topics for middle school students (free printable!)

When students learn to debate, they gain valuable life skills. Debate teaches children to study their topics, make informed choices, and argue effectively using facts rather than emotions. This list of secondary school debates covers serious and relaxed ideas for children aged 10 to 14. Each topic contains a link to a reliable source article that provides a reliable source that provides patents and/or disadvantages to help children make arguments.

Free printable debate graphic organizer

Also, please help your students prepare for any debate with our free graphic organizers! You will get debate rules and strategies, as well as differentiated organizers for elementary and middle school students.

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Featured Draft

Every question is in the big debate part of every junior year!

This is a great way to have a new debate topic every week. This week’s big debate section junior year raised two aspects of a question to encourage discussion and allow readers to form their own opinions. Use it effectively, allowing students to study both sides of the argument, consider the proposed point of view, and then form their own opinions on it.

School and education debate topics

Students like to debate topics related to school rules, homework and teachers. These questions are perfect for getting intermediate kids to participate in some of their first debates.

1. It is better to be good at scholars than to be good at sports.
2. Work should be prohibited.
3. The school should require all students to wear uniforms.
4. Schools should teach survival and life skills.
5. Students should be allowed to wear hats at school.
6. We should punish students for using curse words.
7. Schools are better for students throughout the year.

8. Schools should require physical education (physical education classes) to grade 12.
9. All students should be asked to volunteer in their communities.
10. Junk food should be banned in schools.
11. All middle school students should learn foreign languages.
12. Single-gender schools are better for students.
13. Mathematics is the most important school subject.
14. The letter level should be cancelled.
15. Teachers should be replaced by computers.
16. Students should rate their handwriting.
17. Children who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
18. Sometimes it can be cheated or tested.
19. Students who fail the exam should have the opportunity to participate again.
20. Students should be allowed to rate teachers.
21. Kids should be able to bring their pets to school.
22. Schools should give middle school students more rest time.

23. School days should be shorter.
24. Schools should eliminate dress codes.
25. For everyone who wants to attend, college should be free.
26. Schools should be allowed to ban some books from the library.
27. Book intelligence is better than street intelligence.

Technology and entertainment debate topics

From smartphones and video games to social media usage and movie ratings, these topics cover some of the most interesting topics. They will love to study and debate the two sides of each issue.

28. All should access the Internet for free.
29. Playing violent video games makes people more likely to become violent in real life.
30. Reality TV depicts real life.
31. It’s worth spending money to explore the space.
32. Paper bags are better than plastic.
33. Our society is too dependent on technology.
34. GMOs are safe for human consumption and the environment.
35. The minimum age to own a smartphone should be 16.

36. Students should be allowed to use the phone in class.
37. Macs are better than PCs.
38. Android is better than iPhone.
39. Children under the age of 13 should be allowed to use social media sites such as Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat.
40. Students should not be allowed to watch TV on school nights.
41. Social media does more harm than good.
42. Video games are better than board games.
43. Reading is better than watching TV.
44. All paper documents are replaced with electronic versions.
45. Books are always better than movies taken from them.
46. Parents should use their children’s cell phone to track their location.
47. Playing video games will make you smarter.

48. Scientists should try to develop a way for everyone to live forever.
49. Paper books are better than e-books.
50. Schools should have surveillance cameras in classrooms and corridors.
51. Movie ratings (G, PG, PG-13 and R) should be cancelled.

Theme of life and moral debate

These topics encourage children to use critical thinking to consider multiple perspectives. Such questions also apply to persuasive papers.

52. Professional athletes and celebrities should make more money than ordinary people.
53. Money cannot buy happiness.
54. People have a responsibility to help each other.
55. No one should lie.
56. Girls face greater peer pressure than boys.
57. We should lower the voting age to 12 years old.
58. Every member of a family should have household chores every day.
59. All museums and zoos should be free for everyone.
60. Everyone should be vegetarian.

61. Democracy is the best form of government.
62. All Americans should be asked to vote.
63. Smoking and smoking should be completely prohibited.
64. Parents should be allowed to read their children’s private diaries.
65. Giving is better than receiving.
66. Accepting regular allowances is good for the child.
67. Parents should be punished for their children’s mistakes.
68. A real Christmas tree is better than an artificial tree.
69. We should not put animals in zoos.
70. Humans should not eat animals.
71. Regardless of gender, all children should participate in the same sports team.
72. Saving some allowances is better than spending all the expenses.
73. Children should be allowed to stay up late.
74. Happiness is more important than success.
75. The driving age should be reduced to 14.

76. We should ban plastic bottles altogether.
77. Parents must take parenting classes before having children.
78. If you find money on the ground, it will be your automatic retention.
79. Kindness is better than honesty.
80. All children should have a playground or park within walking distance of their home.
81. Children should be allowed to own a credit card.
82. Spending money to explore space is important.

Popular Culture Debate Middle School Topic

Students may be surprised to find that there are a lot of debates about their favorite movies, video games, TV shows, books and more. These are easy questions that can lead to surprisingly intense discussions.

83. Darth Vader is ultimately a hero, not a villain.
84. Werewolf is more dangerous than vampires.
85. It would be more fun to hang out with Oscar The Grouch than to hang out with the big bird.
86. Robin Hood is a thief, not a hero.
87. Harry Potter Compare Lord of the Rings.
88. Disney animation classics are better than live versions.
89. Mandalorian Better than the last Star Wars trilogy.
90. Minecraft isn’t as interesting as it used to be.
91. Scrabble should allow the use of a distinguished name.
92. Catan’s settlers were better than Carcassonne.
93. Taylor Swift is overrated as a musician.

Interesting and interesting debate topics

Speaking of lightheartedly, these debate topics may not change the world, but they are still fun and engaging. They are especially ideal for students who are just trying to debate for the first time.

94. All families should have a pet.
95. Dogs are better than cats.
96. Summer is better than winter.
97. Pepperoni is the best pizza filling.
98. Pineapple is not a pizza.
99. Teachers should not give rewards and prizes in class.
100. The clown is more terrifying than the fun.
101. Every house should have a robot.
102. There are clever lives on other planets.

103. The eggs came to the chicken.
104. Pop music is better than classical music.
105. Xbox is better than PlayStation.
106. Peanut butter is better than peanut butter.
107. Football is better than football.
108. Everyone should have bed every day.
109. Being able to fly is better than being able to become invisible.
110. Pluto should still be considered a planet.
111. Santa’s elf should be paid for the minimum wage.
112. Hot chocolate is better than chocolate shakes.
113. Fruit counts as dessert.
114. People should be allowed to go barefoot anywhere if needed.
115. Novels are better than non-fiction.

116. Everyone should learn to play musical instruments.
117. Children don’t have to go to school on their birthdays.

Controversial Middle School Debate Topics

These middle school debate topics are very controversial and may not be suitable for all students or every classroom. But if your middle school students are ready for a more serious debate, try these important questions.

118. We should abolish the death penalty.
119. Stricter gun control laws help stop mass shootings.
120. It is necessary to continue building walls between the United States and Mexico.
121. Quarantine still exists in the United States.
122. Schools should ban junk food.
123. Religion does more harm than good.
124. Artificial intelligence does more harm than good.
125. The government should ban commercial fishing.
126. We will never be able to achieve world peace.
127. We should not allow young children to participate in contact sports like football.

128. Parents should not be allowed to pierce the baby’s ears.
129. Beauty pageant is gender discrimination.
130. Kids should not receive sports trophysical.
131. Possibly become a moral hunter.
132. Some stereotypes are accurate.
133. People have the responsibility to intervene when they see crimes in crime.
134. War is sometimes necessary.
135. Sometimes, we have to limit freedom of speech.
136. Safety is more important than freedom.
137. We should cancel the public bathrooms of a specific gender.
138. Anyone over the age of 12 should try it as an adult in court.
139. Electric cars are better than gasoline drivers.

140. We should legalize, regulate and tax all recreational medicines.
141. Our society has a harmful “food culture”.
142. All countries must abandon their nuclear weapons.
143. We should prohibit testing of animals.
144. The United States is not ready for the female president.
145. Parents should be punished legally for their children’s crimes.
146. We should ban the use of fossil fuels.
147. Review is unnecessary.
148. Taxes on unhealthy foods will help fight obesity.
149. Human cloning should be legal.
150. Vaccines should be mandatory.

Don’t forget to grab your free printable debate graphic organizer!

You can use these graphic organizers with any debate topics for middle school students listed above.

Also, check out interesting debate topics for kids of all ages.