Debate topics for middle school students

Middle school is a pivotal time for students as they grapple with new ideas and forge their identities. Classroom discussions are a powerful tool to support their cognitive and social growth by fostering respectful communication and teaching students to engage with diverse viewpoints, which is wonderful and proven to improve students’ critical thinking skills!

With that in mind, we’ve curated an extensive list of curriculum-linked debate topics for your middle school students. Kialo Edu has many of these topics as a free discussion template (complete with a thesis and starter claims), or you can take some inspiration from them and create your own discussion from scratch. Choose a debate topic from the list below to start engaging class discussions with your middle school students!

Civics debate topics for middle school students

Exploring civics debate topics fosters students’ communication and critical thinking skills essential for civic literacy. This can increase students’ motivation and capability for future civic engagement, whether through voting, community activism, or political participation.

• Is it a bad idea to mix entertainment with news?
• Is it OK to protest against the government?
• Should advertising be allowed to target children?
• Should all children have to do volunteer work?
• Should all citizens be required to vote?
• Should dogs be allowed in public parks?
• Should employers pay people extra to live closer to their workplace?
• Should e-scooters be allowed in city centers?
• Should everyone get a day off work for their birthday?
• Should IDs be required to vote?
• Should kids have to earn their pocket money?
• Should monarchies be abolished?
• Should social media platforms be allowed to ban political speech?
• Should students be required to complete a civics course to graduate?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• What is the most important quality a country’s leader should have?

Geography debate topics for middle school students

Weave geography debate topics into geography class, or even humanities lessons, to further middle school students’ engagement with the world around them. These debates encourage middle schoolers to critically reflect on real issues affecting their futures and evaluate how geographical factors impact society, politics, and the environment.

• Are fair trade schemes actually fair?
• Are greenbelts a good idea?
• Are megacities the future?
• Is globalization a good thing?
• Is it a good idea to use wind farms?
• Is it better to live in the city or the countryside?
• Is it ethical to take short-haul flights?
• Is rewilding a good idea?
• Should all homes have solar panels?
• Should countries still open new oil fields?
• Should fossil fuels be banned?
• Should household recycling be mandatory?
• Should plastic bags be banned?
• Should private cars be banned from the city center?
• Should public transport be free?
• Should we ban air travel to help fight climate change?
• Should we only eat food produced in our own countries?
• What is the best method of transport in a city?

History debate topics for middle school students

History debate topics bring the history curriculum to life for students. By analyzing multiple perspectives, evaluating evidence, and constructing historically valid arguments, students practice their historical thinking skills and hit a host of curriculum standards.

• Ancient Athens or Sparta: Which was the better place to live?
• Could the Confederacy have won the American Civil War?
• Did the actions of King Charles I cause the English Civil War?
• Did World War II significantly advance the rights of women in the countries involved?
• Do the Vikings deserve their bad reputation?
• How did the Roman Empire become so great?
• Should Americans see the Founding Fathers as heroes?
• Should the US have entered World War I earlier?
• Should the US have entered World War II earlier?
• Should we admire Alexander the Great?
• Should we see Christopher Columbus as a hero?
• Was building the Great Wall of China a wise decision?
• Was life harder for children in the past than it is today?
• Was Nebuchadnezzar II really a good ruler?
• Was Shang Dynasty China more advanced than the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt?
• Was the American Revolution justified?
• Was the Bronze Age more impressive than the Iron Age?
• Was the Industrial Revolution good for society?
• Was the invention of the printing press more important than the internet?
• Was the New Deal an effective response to the Great Depression?
• Which ancient empire was most impressive: the Persian Empire, Macedonian Empire, Han Dynasty, or Roman Empire?
• Which Bronze Age civilization was more advanced: the Indus Valley or Egypt?
• Which pre-Columbian civilization was more impressive: the Aztecs, Incas, or Maya?
• Which would be better to visit: ancient Egypt or ancient Greece?

Literature debate topics for middle school students

Literature debate topics for middle schoolers should be accessible yet thought-provoking. These debate topic ideas, drawn from popular middle school curriculum texts, can help students connect more deeply to the literature by exploring themes and characters through social, historical, or cultural contexts.

• Did Katniss make the right choice by volunteering for her sister in The Hunger Games?
• Does Call of the Wild portray a negative depiction of the relationship between humans and animals?
• Does the internet have a positive impact on Lydia, Travis, and Dill in The Serpent King?
• In Abomination by Robert Swindells, is Martha right to stand up for her beliefs?
• In Among the Hidden, is Luke right to join the hidden community?
• In Front Desk by Kelly Yang, are Mia’s parents right to hide immigrants?
• In I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, should Marie tell someone Lena’s secret?
• In Inside Out and Back Again, what is Hà’s biggest challenge in adapting to life in America?
• In The Hobbit, should Bilbo Baggins have joined the dwarves on their adventure?
• In The Prison Healer, should Kiva risk her own life to protect others?
• In Trash, were Raphael, Gardo, and Rat right to tell lies?
• In We Are Wolves, should Luka and Emilia prioritize their own survival over helping others?
• Is Manny right to want to be a “vato firme” in Parrot in the Oven?
• Is Ron a true friend to Harry in the Harry Potter series?
• Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn too racist to be taught in schools?
• Is the Giver in The Giver a hero or a villain?
• Should Anne Frank have revealed her hiding place in The Diary of a Young Girl?
• Should Ebenezer Scrooge be forgiven at the end of A Christmas Carol?
• Should schools allow students to choose more of their own reading material for literature classes?
• Was Beowulf a hero?
• What is the greatest challenge that Leif has to overcome in Northwind?

Philosophy debate topics for middle school students

While philosophy might not be on your middle school curriculum, its rich questions can ignite students’ critical thinking across many other subjects, including humanities, social studies, and the sciences. Try these thought-provoking philosophical discussions as engaging lesson starters to activate students’ minds!

• Can you trust everything you see?
• Do we have an obligation to help others in need?
• Is it ever okay to break the rules?
• Is it ever okay to lie?
• Is it immoral for people to own pets?
• Is it more important to be a good leader or a good follower?
• Is it more important to be kind or to be fair?
• Is it okay for feminists to wear makeup?
• Is it okay to be selfish?
• Is lying about your age ever okay?
• Is pacifism moral?
• Is war unavoidable?
• Is what’s popular always right?
• Should animals have rights?
• Should everyone be treated equally?
• Should morals be relative depending on culture?
• Should we always respect people in authority?
• Would it be good to be famous?

Religious studies debate topics for middle school students

Exploring religious debate topics in middle school expands students’ worldviews and cultural awareness. Discussing diverse beliefs, texts, and practices cultivates students’ empathy and respect for other religions, while enabling them to meet many curriculum objectives for religious studies and humanities.

• Does religion cause more conflict than it solves?
• Is anything ever eternal?
• Is marriage a thing of the past?
• Is religion still relevant today?
• Is there only one true religion?
• Should Buddhist leadership roles be open to all genders?
• Should children be free to choose their own religion?
• Should Christian leadership roles be open to all genders?
• Should Christmas be a national holiday in Western countries?
• Should Hindu leadership roles be open to all genders?
• Should Islamic leadership roles be open to all genders?
• Should Jewish leadership roles be open to all genders?
• Should Jews be able to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas?
• Should religions treat all genders equally?
• Should religious symbols be allowed in public schools?
• Should we stop telling the “miracle of the lamp oil” story for Hanukkah?
• Should we use pagan imagery when celebrating Easter?
• Which holiday is more important for Christians: Christmas or Easter?
• Would you rather live in a theocracy or a democracy?

School and education debate topics for middle school students

Debating school and education topics gives students a voice on the issues that directly impact them. This can empower students to shape their own learning experience, supporting increased classroom motivation and engagement. 

• Should academic tests be banned for students under 14?
• Should all classes be grouped by ability rather than age?
• Should schools be open to students during holidays and breaks?
• Should schools offer more extracurricular activities and clubs?
• Should schools provide free meals for all students?
• Should schools start later in the day?
• Should schools take students on trips abroad?
• Should schools teach practical life skills?
• Should schools use detention as a punishment?
• Should religion be a subject in school?
• Should schools use digital textbooks over print textbooks?
• Should students be allowed to bring their pets to school?
• Should students be held back to repeat a grade in school?
• Should students be punished in school for their behavior outside of school?
• Should students grade their teachers?
• Should students have exams right after winter holidays?
• Should students have to wear school uniforms?
• Should teachers be allowed days off during the school term?
• Should teachers give homework?
• Should teachers have to wear a uniform?
• Should teenagers have to choose a career path at 16?
• Should there be single-gender schools?
• What’s the most important quality for a teacher to have?

Science and technology debate topics for middle school students

Science and technology debate topics build students’ understanding of how these fields shape the modern world. Students can explore the societal impacts and moral implications of scientific advancements and develop essential digital citizenship skills by examining responsible technology use.

• Could technology ever replace teachers?
• Does playing video games benefit learning?
• Do the costs of AI outweigh the benefits?
• Is AI just pretending to be smart?
• Is it a good thing that most work will likely be done by machines?
• Is it ethical to clone animals?
• Is it wrong to pure-breed pets?
• Is it wrong to use AI-generated art?
• Should we wash our clothes less often?
• Is technological progress a good thing?
• Is the internet an overall good thing for society?
• Should AI tools be allowed in school assessments?
• Should coding be a required subject in school?
• Should everyone be vegetarian?
• Should humans try to control the weather?
• Should scientific research be limited if it could lead to dangerous discoveries?
• Should self-driving cars be allowed on public roads?
• Should the government limit the time kids can spend playing video games?
• Should we ban zoos?
• Should we prioritize exploring the deepest parts of our oceans over outer space?
• Should young people under 16 be allowed to have smartphones? 

Social-emotional learning debate topics for middle school students

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is being increasingly integrated into school curricula. Debating SEL topics can help heighten students’ self-awareness and cultivate empathy — essential life skills that also foster a safe, supportive learning environment for meaningful discussions.

• Are friends better than family?
• Do children need privacy?
• Do people need friends to be happy?
• Is cyberbullying worse than face-to-face bullying?
• Is it better to have a few close friends than lots of casual friends?
• Is it good to have siblings?
• Is it okay for parents to confiscate teenagers’ mobile phones?
• Is it okay for parents to share photos of their kids on social media?
• Is it okay to cry in front of others?
• Is it okay to “ghost” someone that you don’t want to be friends with?
• Is popularity important?
• Is there such a thing as a perfect friend?
• Should bullies be expelled?
• Should everyone get participation awards?
• Should friends always share everything?
• Should mobile phones and tablets be allowed at family meal times?
• Should parents be friends with their kids on social media?
• Should parents be held responsible for their children’s actions?
• Should we always avoid stress?
• Should we always forgive others?

Sports debate topics for middle school students

Sports debate topics are a great way to enhance physical education classes. From the ethics of youth sports participation to the societal impacts of professional athletics, the world of sport offers complex, compelling issues for students to explore.

• Are video games a good way to train for real-life sports?
• Is it fair that professional female athletes receive less attention than professional male athletes?
• Is winning the most important part of sports?
• Should anyone under 18 years old be banned from competing in the Olympics?
• Should colleges and universities have sports teams?
• Should countries with poor human rights records be allowed to host international sporting events?
• Should eSports be considered real sports?
• Should governments subsidize professional sports?
• Should hard fouls in sports be considered crimes?
• Should more sports get mainstream attention?
• Should professional athletes be allowed to use wearable technology in games?
• Should rugby be banned in schools?
• Should school sports day be banned?
• Should schools require all students to participate in at least one sport?
• Should sports teams have minimum playing times for all players?
• Should student-athletes be required to maintain a minimum GPA to be eligible to play?
• Should the Olympics include more extreme sports?
• Should video replays be used in sports?
• Should World Athletics award prize money to winners at the Olympics?
• Which are better: the Winter Olympics or the Summer Olympics?

Through these engaging debate topics, you can equip your middle school students with the skills they’ll need to navigate the increasingly complex discussions and debates they’ll encounter in the future — while meeting a plethora of curriculum standards.

For even more ideas, head to Kialo Edu’s Topic Library, where you’ll find hundreds of free, versatile ideas for discussions and debates, searchable by age and subject.

We’d love to hear how you’re using these debate topics with your middle school students! Contact us at feedback@kialo-edu.com or on any of our social media channels.