Hundreds of Ideas for
Debate Speech Topics

This page is devoted to debate speech topics for high school and college-level students. If you're responsible for picking the subjects these students will talk about, here are some tips to guide you and help you determine the best choice for your group.

The Best Speech Topics Vary by Age and Maturity Levels

Teaching kids debating skills can be a tough job.

For many kids, debating means arguing or fighting! And in a sense, debating IS arguing - but in a formal, respectful manner, where students exchange views without aggression and voices are heard.

It's a new concept to some kids (!) but a valuable one to master. It can be an incredibly useful skill throughout adulthood, no matter what particular course their lives take.

Debating at a school/college level can also be very enjoyable for the students, as long as the topics chosen are right for them!

To keep them interested and to spark their imaginations and get them thinking, you need to use topics that are appropriate, yet challenging, for their age and maturity levels.

Debate Speech Topics for Younger Kids

If you're working with kids at the elementary level, you probably don't want to pick anything too controversial. You should also avoid subjects that may rely on lots of facts and figures.

Nevertheless, you still want to have the students push their boundaries a bit, for them to grow and mature their debating skills.

Below is a list of contemporary debate speech topics for younger students to consider:

• Virtual Classrooms: Is learning from home as fun as learning in a physical classroom?
• Robots in the House: Should every home have a robot to help with chores?
• 3D Printed Toys: Are 3D printed toys as good as store-bought toys?
• Online Playdates: Are online playdates as fun as meeting friends in the park?
• Drones for Fun: Should kids be allowed to fly drones in public parks?

Interesting Debate Topics for Middle School Students

Below is a list of contemporary debate speech topics for middle school students to consider:

• Digital Books vs. Physical Books: Are digital books better than physical books?
• Online Learning: Is online learning as effective as traditional classroom learning?
• Animal Testing: Should animal testing be banned for cosmetic products?
• Plastic Pollution: Should single-use plastics be completely banned?
• Celebrity Influence: Do celebrities have a responsibility to be good role models?
• Robotic Pets: Can robotic pets replace real pets in the future?
• Virtual Reality: Can virtual reality serve as a viable substitute for real-world experiences?

Debate Speech Topics for High School

While there's certainly nothing wrong with using some of the standards, like "Does television violence influence children negatively?", there are indeed a lot of other topics that can be used at this level to keep things fresh and exciting.

• Should laboratory animal testing be banned?
• Is global warming real, or just a myth?
• Should the death penalty still be used today?
• Censorship of the media - is it justifiable?
• Are we allowing social media to replace our social lives?

Below is a list of contemporary debate speech topics for high school students to consider:

• Social Media Influence: Is the influence of social media more harmful than beneficial?
• Genetic Engineering: Should humans be allowed to genetically modify their future children for better traits?
• eSports Recognition: Should eSports be recognized and regulated as traditional sports?
• Veganism for Environment: Should individuals be encouraged to adopt a vegan lifestyle for environmental reasons?
• Space Exploration: Is space exploration a good use of resources, or should we focus on solving problems on Earth first?

Interesting Debate Speech Topics for College Students

• Which is the real truth: evolution or creationism?
• Should the United States decriminalize all illegal drugs?
• Should families be responsible for the care of their elderly members?
• Is the assassination of a dictator morally justifiable?

These topics are all challenging and appropriate to the age and maturity levels but are thought-provoking and likely to trigger some fascinating debates.

Below is a list of contemporary debate speech topics for college students to consider:

• Artificial Intelligence Ethics: Should there be a limit on the development of AI?
• Climate Change Action: Is it the responsibility of developed countries to lead the way in climate change mitigation?
• Data Privacy: Is data privacy a right or a privilege?
• Universal Basic Income: Would a universal basic income solve societal inequality?
• Social Media Regulation: Should governments have more control over social media platforms to prevent misinformation and hate speech?

Tip to Help Students Hone Their Debating Skills

Students need preparation and study for a good debate - but it's also a good idea to plan a 'surprise' session once in a while, where you introduce a topic and ask students to debate it there and then.

Throwing a surprise curve-ball every once in a while helps them to think on their toes.

As you know, debates can take some unusual twists and turns. By holding a few sessions with surprise debate speech topics, you will be equipping students to react quickly and come up with good responses during real debates.

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