150 Debate Topics for Middle School Students (Free Printables!)

When students learn to debate, they gain valuable life skills. Debates teach kids to research their topic, make informed choices, and argue effectively using facts instead of emotion. This list of middle school debate topics encompasses both serious and lighthearted ideas for kids ages 10 to 14. Each topic includes a link to an article from a reliable source that provides pros and/or cons to help kids make their arguments.

Free Printable Debate Graphic Organizers

Plus, help your students prep for any kind of debate with our free graphic organizers! You get debate rules and strategies, along with differentiated organizers for elementary and middle/high school students.

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Debate Extension Activity

Debating is a great way for students to hone critical thinking and communication skills, but it doesn’t need to stop at the podium. Encourage your students to turn their debates into action with The Edit, a digital storytelling challenge from NBCU Academy and Adobe. This real-world application encourages students to plan, script, and produce their own 90-second video news reports on important wellness topics. Plus, winning classrooms can score prizes like GoPros and Fandango gift cards!

School and Education Debate Topics

Students love to debate topics related to school rules, homework, and teachers. These issues are ideal for engaging middle grade kids in some of their first debates.

1. It’s better to be good at academics than to be good at sports.
2. Homework should be banned.
3. Schools 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. Year-round school is better for students.

8. Schools should require physical education (gym class) through 12th grade.
9. All students should be required to volunteer in their community.
10. Junk food should be banned in schools.
11. All middle school students should learn a foreign language.
12. Single-gender schools are better for students.
13. Math is the most important school subject.
14. Letter grades should be abolished.
15. Teachers should be replaced by computers.
16. Students should be graded on their handwriting.
17. Kids who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
18. Sometimes it’s OK to cheat on homework or a test.
19. Students who fail a test should be given the chance to take it again.
20. Students should be allowed to grade teachers.
21. Kids should be able to bring their pets to school.
22. Schools should give middle school students more recess time.

23. The school day should be shorter.
24. Schools should eliminate dress codes.
25. College should be free for everyone who wants to attend.
26. Schools should be allowed to ban some books from their libraries.
27. Book smarts are better than street smarts.

Technology and Entertainment Debate Topics

From smartphones and video games to social media usage and movie ratings, these topics cover some of the subjects that interest tweens most. They’ll enjoy researching and debating both sides of each question.

28. All people should have free internet access.
29. Playing violent video games makes people more likely to be violent in real life.
30. Reality television depicts real life.
31. Spending money to explore space is worthwhile.
32. Paper bags are better than plastic ones.
33. Our society is too reliant 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 phones in class.
37. Macs are better than PCs.
38. Androids are better than iPhones.
39. Kids under 13 should be allowed to use social media sites like 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 books is better than watching TV.
44. All paper documents should be replaced with electronic versions.
45. Books are always better than the movies that are made from them.
46. Parents should use their kids’ cell phones to track where they are.
47. Playing video games makes 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 hallways.
51. Movie ratings (G, PG, PG-13, and R) should be done away with.

Life and Ethics Debate Topics

These topics encourage kids to think about moral and ethical implications, using critical thinking to consider multiple points of view. Issues like these work well for persuasive essays too.

52. Professional athletes and celebrities deserve to make more money than the average person.
53. Money can’t buy happiness.
54. People have a responsibility to help one another out.
55. No one should ever tell a lie.
56. Girls face more peer pressure than boys.
57. We should lower the voting age to 12.
58. Every member of a family should have daily chores.
59. All museums and zoos should be free to everyone.
60. All people should be vegetarians.

61. Democracy is the best form of government.
62. All Americans should be required to vote.
63. Cigarette smoking and vaping should be banned entirely.
64. Parents should be allowed to read their children’s private diaries.
65. Giving is better than receiving.
66. Receiving a regular allowance is good for kids.
67. Parents should be punished for their children’s mistakes.
68. Real Christmas trees are better than artificial ones.
69. We should not keep animals in zoos.
70. Humans should not eat animals.
71. All kids should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.
72. It is better to save some of your allowance than to spend it all.
73. Kids should be allowed to stay up as late as they want.
74. Happiness is more important than success.
75. The driving age should be lowered to 14.

76. We should completely ban plastic bottles.
77. Parents should have to take a parenting class before having a child.
78. If you find money on the ground, it’s automatically yours to keep.
79. It is better to be kind than to be truthful.
80. All kids should have a playground or park within walking distance of their home.
81. Kids should be allowed to have credit cards.
82. It’s important to spend money exploring space.

Pop Culture Debate Topics for Middle School

Students might be surprised to find there’s plenty to debate in their favorite movies, video games, TV shows, books, and more. These are lighthearted issues that can lead to surprisingly heated discussions.

83. Darth Vader was ultimately a hero, not a villain.
84. Werewolves are more dangerous than vampires.
85. It would be more fun to hang out with Oscar the Grouch than with Big Bird.
86. Robin Hood is a thief, not a hero.
87. Harry Potter is better than The Lord of the Rings.
88. Animated Disney classics are better than the live-action versions.
89. The Mandalorian is better than the last Star Wars trilogy.
90. Minecraft isn’t as fun as it used to be.
91. Scrabble should allow the use of proper names.
92. Settlers of Catan is better than Carcassonne.
93. Taylor Swift is overrated as a musician.

Fun and Funny Debate Topics

Speaking of lighthearted, these debate topics may not be world-changing, but they’re still fun and engaging. They’re especially ideal for students who are just trying out debate for the first time.

94. All families should have a pet.
95. Dogs are better pets than cats.
96. Summer is better than winter.
97. Pepperoni is the best pizza topping.
98. Pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza.
99. Teachers shouldn’t give rewards and prizes in the classroom.
100. Clowns are more scary than funny.
101. Every home should have a robot.
102. There is intelligent life on other planets.

103. The egg came before the chicken.
104. Pop music is better than classical music.
105. Xbox is better than PlayStation.
106. Peanut butter is better than Nutella.
107. Football is better than soccer.
108. Everyone should make their bed every day.
109. It would be better to be able to fly than to be able to turn invisible.
110. Pluto should still be considered a planet.
111. Santa Claus’ elves should be paid minimum wage.
112. Hot chocolate is better than a chocolate milkshake.
113. Fruit counts as dessert.
114. People should be allowed to go barefoot anywhere if they want to.
115. Fiction is better than nonfiction.

116. Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
117. Kids shouldn’t have to go to school on their birthdays.

Controversial Middle School Debate Topics

These middle school debate topics are pretty contentious and might not be appropriate for all students or every classroom. But if your middle schoolers are ready to take on more serious debates, try these important questions.

118. We should abolish the death penalty.
119. Stricter gun control laws help stop mass shootings.
120. It’s necessary to continue building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
121. Segregation 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. Governments should ban commercial fishing.
126. We will never achieve world peace.
127. We shouldn’t allow young children to play contact sports like football.

128. Parents shouldn’t be allowed to pierce a baby’s ears.
129. Beauty pageants are sexist.
130. Kids shouldn’t get participation trophies for sports.
131. It’s possible to be an ethical hunter.
132. Some stereotypes are accurate.
133. People have a responsibility to step in when they see a crime in action.
134. War is sometimes necessary.
135. There are times when we must limit freedom of speech.
136. Security is more important than freedom.
137. We should do away with gender-specific public bathrooms.
138. Anyone over age 12 should be tried as an adult in court.
139. Electric vehicles are better than gas-powered ones.

140. We should legalize, regulate, and tax all recreational drugs.
141. Our society has a harmful “diet culture.”
142. All countries should have to give up their nuclear weapons.
143. We should ban testing on animals.
144. The United States is not ready for a woman president.
145. Parents should be legally punished for their children’s crimes.
146. We should ban the use of fossil fuels.
147. Censorship is unnecessary.
148. Taxing unhealthy foods would help fight obesity.
149. Human cloning should be legal.
150. Vaccines should be mandatory.

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

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

Plus, check out Funny Debate Topics for Kids of All Ages.