These are 100 debate topics for middle school students in grades 6 to 8. They start close to home, with questions about homework, phones, school lunches and pets, and move out to bigger ideas like zoos, plastic, voting and what makes a good leader. Every topic is a clear yes-or-no question with real reasons on both sides, so students practice giving evidence and answering the other side, not just saying what they like.
The topics are sorted into ten themes. Topics marked with a guide link have a full Debatery pro and con guide, with sourced arguments for each side, key clashes and discussion questions that make a great starting point for research.
Jump to: School life · Learning and the classroom · Technology and screens · Animals · Environment · Health and food · Sports and games · Society and community · Fun but real · Big questions
School life (10)
- Should schools require uniforms? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should school start later in the morning? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should students get mental health days off school? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should the school year be year-round with shorter breaks?
- Should recess continue through middle school?
- Should students help choose what is served for school lunch?
- Should schools have a four-day week?
- Should students be allowed to choose their own seats in class?
- Should schools be single-sex? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should students grade their teachers?
Learning and the classroom (10)
- Should students have homework? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should art and music be compulsory in schools? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should schools replace letter grades with written feedback?
- Should every student learn a second language?
- Should cursive handwriting still be taught?
- Should schools teach personal finance, such as budgeting and saving?
- Should students be allowed to retake tests?
- Should textbooks be replaced with tablets?
- Should schools teach cooking?
- Are group projects better than working alone?
Technology and screens (10)
- Should cell phones be banned in schools? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should children have smartphones? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should children under 16 be banned from social media? (Pro & Con guide)
- Is social media good for society? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should students be allowed to use AI for schoolwork? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should parents set daily screen-time limits for their kids?
- Should parents be able to read their children's messages?
- Are video games good for kids?
- Should robots replace people in dangerous jobs?
- Has the internet made people smarter?
Animals (10)
- Should zoos exist? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should animals be used in circuses?
- Should people adopt pets from shelters instead of buying from breeders?
- Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
- Should schools keep class pets?
- Should aquariums keep dolphins and whales?
- Should people need a license to own a dog?
- Should we bring extinct animals back to life?
- Should cats be kept indoors?
- Should horse racing be banned?
Environment (10)
- Should single-use plastics be banned? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should fireworks be banned? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should plastic water bottles be sold at school?
- Should every school have a garden?
- Should cars be banned from city centers?
- Should stores charge for plastic bags?
- Should people eat less meat to help the planet?
- Should fast fashion be discouraged?
- Should cities build more bike lanes?
- Should countries protect more land as national parks?
Health and food (10)
- Should sugary drinks be taxed? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should junk food be banned in schools?
- Should energy drinks be banned for kids under 16?
- Should vaping be banned? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should fast food restaurants stop giving toys with kids' meals?
- Should school lunches be free for every student?
- Should schools have a daily exercise time?
- Should restaurants show calories on menus?
- Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
- Should kids have a set bedtime on school nights?
Sports and games (10)
- Is cheerleading a sport? (Pro & Con guide)
- Is esports a real sport?
- Should youth sports keep score?
- Should everyone on a team get a trophy?
- Should tackle football be banned for kids under 14?
- Should gym class be graded?
- Should schools have competitive sports teams in middle school?
- Should chess be taught in schools?
- Should professional athletes be paid less?
- Should mixed-gender teams be allowed in school sports?
Society and community (10)
- Should the voting age be lowered to 16? (Pro & Con guide)
- Should students do community service to graduate?
- Should kids get paid for doing chores?
- Should there be a curfew for teenagers?
- Should children be allowed to walk to school alone?
- Should celebrities be role models?
- Should public libraries be open 24 hours?
- Should kids be allowed to have part-time jobs?
- Should museums be free for everyone?
- Should every town have a skate park?
Fun but real (10)
- Should daylight saving time be abolished? (Pro & Con guide)
- Is it better to be an early bird or a night owl?
- Are books better than their movies?
- Is it better to live in a city or in the countryside?
- Is summer the best season?
- Should pizza count as a healthy meal?
- Should people be allowed to bring pets to work?
- Is it better to have a big family or a small one?
- Should superheroes be held responsible for the damage they cause?
- Is it better to be a kid than an adult?
Big questions (10)
- Is it ever okay to lie?
- Is it better to be honest or kind?
- Should rules ever be broken?
- Is money the key to happiness?
- Should humans try to live on Mars?
- Are people born good?
- Is it fair to judge people by their past mistakes?
- Is winning more important than having fun?
- Should we always obey people in charge?
- Is history worth learning?
How to use these topics in class
- Start with a warm-up topic. Open with a light question from the Fun but real section, like books versus movies. Students learn how a debate works before they tackle a topic that needs research.
- Assign sides after the topic is chosen. Flip a coin or use the Team Generator. Arguing a side you disagree with teaches students to listen and think it through.
- Teach the claim, reason, evidence pattern. Ask every speaker to say what they think, why, and one fact or example that backs it up. A guide gives younger students real evidence to work with.
- Keep speeches short and timed. Use the debate timer with short speeches, such as 1 to 2 minutes each, so every student gets a turn and nobody runs out of things to say.
- Keep the format simple. A 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 classroom debate works well at this age. For quick speaking practice, try a random speech prompt or the public speaking topics.
Questions teachers ask
What makes a good middle school debate topic?
A good topic is a clear yes-or-no question that students already know something about, with real reasons on both sides. Questions about school rules, phones, animals and food work well because students can draw on their own lives and then add research.
What are easy debate topics for middle school?
School uniforms, homework, later school start times, phones in class, zoos and whether cheerleading is a sport are easy places to start. All of them are on this list, and each one has a full Debatery pro and con guide.
How long should a middle school debate be?
For a class, 20 to 30 minutes is usually enough: short opening speeches, a few minutes of questions or rebuttals, and a closing speech for each side. Shorter speeches keep everyone involved.
How do I keep middle school debates respectful?
Set clear rules before you start: argue against ideas, not people, no interrupting, and thank the other side at the end. Assigning sides at random also helps, because students know nobody chose their position.
Can I print this list for my class?
Yes. Use the Print this list button at the top. The list is free to use in classes and clubs.
Missing a topic? Request a guide and vote for the ones you want next.