Discussion topics for high school students

High school is a pivotal time for students. With newfound independence, students must learn to think critically, articulate informed opinions, and make well-reasoned decisions — all skills they can learn through actively participating in class discussions!

Our list of discussion topics for high school students is organized by curriculum subject, making it easy to find the right discussion to build your students’ critical thinking skills. Best of all, you can have these engaging online discussions for free on Kialo Edu — find a discussion topic in our Topic Library, or take inspiration from this list and create your own!

Science & technology discussion topics for high school students

• Are human microchip implants a good idea?
• Are the seven properties of life a good way to separate living and nonliving things?
• Are viruses alive?
• Are we currently experiencing a mass extinction?
• Do plants have a form of consciousness?
• Is AI just pretending to be smart?
• Is nature stronger than nurture?
• Is TikTok bad for society?
• Should cloning humans be legal?
• Should genetic engineering be used to eliminate hereditary diseases?
• Should governments regulate the use of artificial intelligence?
• Should scientists be forced to share information?
• Should scientists create synthetic lifeforms?
• Should the genetic engineering of human embryos be banned?
• Should vaccines be mandatory?
• Should we develop technology that can read minds?
• Should we send a human mission to Mars?
• Should we try to prolong our lives at any cost?
• Was Marie Curie’s contribution to science greater than Ernest Rutherford’s?
• Which scientist should be brought back to help solve the world’s problems?
• Would robots increase our quality of life?

History discussion topics for high school students

• Can we ever truly know history?
• Could the Confederacy have won the American Civil War?
• Did the geographical features of the Yellow River Valley heavily influence the development of early Chinese civilization?
• Did the French Revolution need to be so bloody?
• Did the Iranian Revolution of 1979 fulfill its promises?
• Did the Russian Revolution betray its own ideals?
• Has Martin Luther King Jr. been whitewashed?
• Should British people be proud of the British Empire?
• Should we admire Alexander the Great?
• Should we remove statues of problematic historical figures?
• Should we see the suffragettes as heroes?
• Was Mao Zedong right to involve the Chinese youth in his Cultural Revolution? 
• Was Rosa Parks’s bus protest the most important factor in advancing the civil rights movement?
• Was the American Revolution justified?
• Was the English Civil War caused by the actions of the King?
• Was the Industrial Revolution good for society?
• Was the Treaty of Versailles the main cause of World War II?
• Were Martin Luther’s methods reckless in starting the Protestant Reformation?
• Were the “Dark Ages” really so dark?
• Were the Mongol conquests a good thing in the end?
• What was the main cause of the French Revolution?
• What was the main cause of World War I?
• What was the main effect of the slave trade on African societies in the 1700s?
• What was the main impact of the Norman Conquest?
• What was the main reason for the decline of the Harappan civilization in 1300 BCE?
• What was the most effective policy for ending the Great Depression?
• Which ancient empire was most impressive: the Persian Empire, Macedonian Empire, Han Dynasty, or Roman Empire?
• Which Mesoamerican civilization was more impressive before 1540: the Aztecs, Maya, or Inca?
• Would the Windrush Generation still have chosen to come to Britain had they known what awaited them?

School and education discussion topics for high school students

• Are private schools better than public schools?
• Are standardized tests effective?
• Do schools have an obligation to teach about racial inequality?
• Is a degree in education essential for teachers?
• Is it effective to use a one-size-fits-all approach in education?
• Is it fair to evaluate teachers based on student performance?
• Is online learning as effective as traditional classroom learning?
• Is technology essential in the classroom?
• Should AI tools be allowed in school assessments?
• Should all classes be grouped by ability rather than age?
• Should art be publicly funded?
• Should educators carry firearms for protection?
• Should financial literacy classes be required for all students?
• Should schools have gender-neutral bathrooms?
• Should schools have surveillance cameras in classrooms and hallways?
• Should schools implement a four-day school week?
• Should schools make drug testing mandatory for students?
• Should schools take students on trips abroad?
• Should schools use detention as a punishment?
• Should students be allowed to use smartphones in school?
• Should students have a say in the curriculum they study?
• Should teenagers have to choose a career path at 16?
• Should there be single-gender schools?

Religious education discussion topics for high school students

• Can interfaith dialogues genuinely promote understanding and tolerance?
• Can studying world religions cultivate empathy and understanding among diverse groups?
• Do all religions worship the same higher power?
• Does religion provide a necessary foundation for moral values and ethics?
• Do rituals and ceremonies strengthen community bonds in religious groups?
• If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, is God responsible for evil?
• Is anything ever eternal?
• Is Buddhism a religion?
• Is Christianity compatible with democracy?
• Is Islam compatible with democracy?
• Is it right for God to punish all of humanity for Adam and Eve’s sin?
• Is Judaism compatible with democracy?
• Is Mary, mother of Jesus, a feminist figure?
• Is religion a force for good?
• Is religious faith compatible with science?
• Is the declining interest in religion a problem?
• Should atheism be considered a religion?
• Should religions treat all genders equally?
• Should religious leaders speak out on social and political issues?
• Should the role of women in religious traditions be reevaluated?
• What is the strongest argument in favor of the separation of church and state?

Literature discussion topics for high school students

• At the end of A Doll’s House, is Nora’s decision to walk away justified?
• Does Fahrenheit 451 condone violent revolution against oppression?
• Does Ishiguro present us with an optimistic vision of human nature in Never Let Me Go?
• Does Katherina’s transformation into an obedient wife provide an uplifting end to The Taming of the Shrew?
• Does Lord of the Flies present an accurate picture of human nature?
• Does Miss Havisham’s past justify her actions in Great Expectations?
• Does Never Let Me Go create a more effective sense of threat than The Handmaid’s Tale?
• Does the plot of Their Eyes Were Watching God advance a feminist worldview?
• Does The Scarlet Letter portray religion as a primarily negative force in society?
• Do you agree with the view that all men are at war with themselves in Regeneration?
• In All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, is Marie-Laure’s father right to hide the jewel?
• In Animal Farm, should the pigs’ leadership give them special privileges?
• In Birdsong, are all soldiers degraded by their experience of war?
• In Crime and Punishment, is Raskolnikov right that individuals who possess exceptional talents or intellect are justified to break societal norms and laws for the greater good?
• In Journey’s End, is Captain Stanhope an ideal leader of men?
• In Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki, should the protagonist continue to stand by Sensei and support him despite his flaws and past actions?
• In Life of Pi, is Pi right to sacrifice his beliefs to survive?
• In The Catcher in the Rye, is Holden’s rebellion necessary for his personal growth?
• In The Kite Runner, is Rahim Khan presented as simply a kind-hearted and honorable rescuer of others?
• In The Merchant of Venice, is it morally acceptable for Portia to disguise herself to achieve justice?
• In the Ramayana, was Rama right to go into exile?
• In The Things They Carried, should Tim have gone to war?
• In Things Fall Apart, does Achebe suggest that resistance to social change is futile?
• Is Jane Eyre a feminist novel?
• Is King Lear really “a man more sinned against than sinning?”
• Is Oh! What a Lovely War unpatriotic?
• Is the society in Brave New World really a dystopia?
• Should Ebenezer Scrooge be forgiven at the end of A Christmas Carol?
• Was Hamlet justified in seeking revenge for his father’s murder?
• Was Macbeth a victim of fate?
• Which poem takes a more convincing view on the deaths of World War I: “Dulce Et Decorum Est” or “In Flanders Fields”?
• Who is the true hero of Heart of Darkness?

Social studies discussion topics for high school students

• Are political parties harmful to democracy?
• Is a federal system of government superior to a unitary system?
• Is it ethical to engage in civil disobedience for social change?
• Is it the government’s responsibility to provide healthcare to all citizens?
• Is justice more important than peace?
• Is war ever justifiable?
• Should citizens have to pass a political knowledge test in order to vote?
• Should countries have strict limits on immigration?
• Should governments provide a job guarantee?
• Should hate speech be protected under freedom of speech laws?
• Should people break unjust laws?
• Should public funding be allocated to support the arts and humanities?
• Should societies prize freedom over security?
• Should teenagers be able to access birth control without parental consent?
• Should the minimum wage be raised?
• Should there be a death penalty?
• Should there be stricter regulations on misinformation in political advertising?
• Should the US abolish the Electoral College?
• Should “victimless” crimes remain illegal?
• Should voting be compulsory?
• Should we always respect people in authority?
• Should we ever use force to create peace?
• Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote in general elections?
• What’s the best way for young people to advocate for change on issues they care about?

Social-emotional learning discussion topics for high school students

• Are celebrities positive role models?
• Are friendships more important than romantic relationships during adolescence?
• Are social skills more important than academic skills for future success?
• Does having more friends improve mental health?
• Does peer pressure have a positive effect?
• Does turning 18 really mean that you’re an adult?
• Do people need friends to be happy?
• Do standardized tests negatively impact students’ social-emotional well-being?
• Is cyberbullying worse than face-to-face bullying?
• Is introversion better than extroversion?
• Is listening more important than talking?
• Is mindfulness an effective tool for stress reduction?
• Is self-esteem more important than self-confidence?
• Should parents have a say in their teenagers’ friendships?
• Should parents encourage mixed-gender friendships?
• Should schools focus more on developing empathy among students?
• Should schools teach about the signs of unhealthy relationships?
• Should social-emotional learning be a mandatory part of the school curriculum?
• Should teenagers end friendships over social media conflicts?
• Should teenagers express their emotions openly?
• Should we always avoid stress?

Geography discussion topics for high school students

• Are fair trade schemes actually fair?
• Are green belts a good idea?
• Are national parks the best way to conserve biodiversity?
• Are open borders a good idea?
• Are water resources a basic human right?
• Are wildlife corridors effective in conserving biodiversity?
• Does tourism help to reduce development gaps?
• Do rich countries have an obligation to help poorer countries weather climate change?
• Is globalization a good thing?
• Is it possible to build cities that don’t harm the environment?
• Is population decline a good thing?
• Is urban agriculture a viable solution to food insecurity?
• Is urban density a good thing?
• Should countries prioritize disaster preparedness over economic growth?
• Should fracking be banned?
• Should household recycling be mandatory?
• Is it ethical to take short-haul flights?
• Should we only eat food produced in our own countries?
• Should we use geoengineering to offset the impacts of climate change?
• What is the best way to fight climate change?
• What is the greatest challenge to megacities?

Philosophy discussion topics for high school students

• Can hurting others ever be justified?
• Can our senses be trusted?
• Can we define happiness?
• Can we ever really know the truth?
• Can we ever truly understand another person’s experience?
• Does the universe have a purpose?
• Is everyone created equal?
• Is happiness more important than success?
• Is it better to be kind than to be truthful?
• Is it ever okay to break the rules?
• Is it ever okay to lie?
• Is it good to make your beliefs a part of your identity?
• Is it immoral for people to own pets?
• Is morality subjective?
• Is one human life worth more than another?
• Is the pursuit of knowledge worth the potential consequences?
• Should we always forgive others?
• Should we prioritize the needs of future generations over our own?

These discussion topics for high school students are just the beginning! Our Topic Library contains hundreds of ready-to-go, thought-provoking discussion templates for a range of age groups and curriculum subjects. You can use these for free in class today to build your high school students’ critical thinking skills and unleash the power of discussion in your classroom!

We’d love to hear how your high school students have benefited from having classroom discussions. Contact us at feedback@kialo-edu.com or on social media.