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Free debate practice · student resolutions

Debate topics for students

Choose a side. Build your case.

A debate resolution is a statement two sides argue for and against. Explore 269 debate topics for students, grouped from beginner to advanced. Start with a quick set, choose your side, and support your case with clear reasons and examples.

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269debate topics 3 levelsbeginner to advanced 30quick-start resolutions

Start with a Top 10 resolution set

Pick a level and try real student debate topics right away.

Debate topics · beginner10 Beginner Debate ResolutionsChoose a side and support it with a clear everyday reason.
  • Dogs are better pets than cats.
  • Kids should get more recess time.
 Debate topics · intermediate10 Intermediate Debate ResolutionsBuild both sides with reasons, examples, and a response.
  • Year-round school is better than summer break.
  • Students should be allowed to grade their teachers.
 Debate topics · advanced10 Advanced Debate ResolutionsCompare policy impacts and answer strong counterarguments.
  • Animal testing should be illegal.
  • The voting age should be lowered to 16.

How to argue a debate resolution

Choose a side, make your case, and prepare to answer the other viewpoint.

  1. Pick your side: affirmative (for) or negative (against).
  2. Build each point with a claim, a reason, and an example or evidence.
  3. Anticipate the other side’s strongest points and prepare a response.
  4. Deliver your case clearly, listen closely, and watch your time.

10 Beginner Debate Resolutions for Students

Straightforward, familiar resolutions for a first debate. Pick a side, give one clear reason, and support it with an everyday example.

  1. Dogs are better pets than cats.
  2. Kids should get more recess time.
  3. Homework should be banned.
  4. School uniforms should be required.
  5. Video games are good for you.
  6. Summer is better than winter.
  7. Chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla.
  8. Reading is better than watching TV.
  9. Every classroom should have a class pet.
  10. School lunches should always be free.

See 73 more beginner resolutions →

10 Intermediate Debate Resolutions for Students

These resolutions need reasons and examples on both sides. Make a few claims, support them, and prepare a response to the other side.

  1. Year-round school is better than summer break.
  2. Students should be allowed to grade their teachers.
  3. All students should learn a second language.
  4. Online school is better than in-person school.
  5. Students should be allowed to use calculators on all math tests.
  6. Standardized tests should be abolished.
  7. It is more important to be kind than to be honest.
  8. Every student should learn basic coding.
  9. Students should have a say in what they learn in school.
  10. Sports build character.

See 104 more intermediate resolutions →

10 Advanced Debate Resolutions for Students

These policy and ethics questions have competing impacts. Define the key terms, compare consequences, and answer the strongest counterargument.

  1. Animal testing should be illegal.
  2. The voting age should be lowered to 16.
  3. Social media companies should be regulated by the government.
  4. Healthcare should be free for everyone.
  5. Climate change is the greatest threat of our time.
  6. Artificial intelligence will do more harm than good.
  7. Privacy is more important than national security.
  8. It is sometimes right to break the law.
  9. Democracy is the best form of government.
  10. The benefits of globalization outweigh its costs.

See 62 more advanced resolutions →

Debate Resolutions for Students: Examples and Practice Ideas

Use these as classroom discussion starters, club practice, or quick case-building drills. Each is written as a resolution, so a speaker can argue either the affirmative or the negative side.

School

  • Schools should start later in the morning.
  • Homework-free weekends should be required.
  • Students should help design classroom rules.

Technology

  • Smartphones should be put away during class.
  • Schools should teach digital literacy as a required subject.
  • Social platforms should provide stronger protections for young users.

Environment

  • Schools should eliminate single-use plastic bottles.
  • Cities should invest more in public transportation than road expansion.
  • Every student should take part in a local conservation project.

AI

  • Students should be allowed to use AI for brainstorming, but not to write final assignments.
  • Schools should teach AI literacy before students use generative AI for schoolwork.
  • AI-generated work should be labeled in classrooms.

Society

  • Community service should be part of graduation.
  • Public libraries should stay open later for students.
  • Students should learn how local government works.

Ethics

  • It is sometimes right to break a rule to prevent harm.
  • People have a responsibility to correct misinformation they share.
  • Animal testing should be limited to cases with no reasonable alternative.

Ready to build a full case? Use Debate 101 to learn arguments, evidence, rebuttals, crossfire, and delivery →

Use practice medium-level impromptu speech prompts to build quick thinking, then strengthen delivery with Public Speaking 101. For a full argument lesson, follow Debate 101 or read how debate develops critical thinking for kids. You can also practice speaking and debate with VoxStar.

Full debate topic banks

The quick-start resolutions above are included in these full beginner, intermediate, and advanced lists.

More beginner debate topics 73 more · 83 total

The 10 quick-start resolutions are above. Continue with 73 more concrete, everyday topics for younger students and first debates.

  1. School should start later in the morning.
  2. Kids should be allowed to use phones at school.
  3. Pizza is the best food.
  4. Outdoor recess is better than indoor recess.
  5. Kids should choose their own bedtime.
  6. Physical education should be every day.
  7. Libraries are better than the internet for learning.
  8. Playing outside is better than playing video games.
  9. Every student should have their own tablet.
  10. Art class is just as important as math.
  11. Schools should teach cooking.
  12. Cats are smarter than dogs.
  13. A shorter school year would be better for students.
  14. Superheroes are better than regular heroes.
  15. Having a sibling is better than being an only child.
  16. Field trips should happen every month.
  17. Juice is healthier than soda.
  18. Students should be able to pick their own seats in class.
  19. Every home should have a pet.
  20. Children should not be allowed to drink soda.
  21. Summer vacation should be longer.
  22. Television is better than books.
  23. Teachers assign too much homework.
  24. Television is a bad influence for kids.
  25. Cats are better pets than dogs.
  26. Summer break is better than winter break.
  27. Pizza should be considered a vegetable.
  28. Every Friday should be 'Pajama Day' at school.
  29. Recess should be twice as long.
  30. Batman is cooler than Superman.
  31. Hamburgers are better than hot dogs.
  32. Kids should be allowed to eat dessert before dinner.
  33. Video games are better than board games.
  34. Reading the book is better than watching the movie.
  35. Every kid should have a pet dinosaur.
  36. It is better to be able to fly than to be invisible.
  37. Pancakes are better than waffles.
  38. Homework should be banned on weekends.
  39. Fruits are better snacks than crackers.
  40. Teachers should wear uniforms too.
  41. We should go to school only four days a week.
  42. Ninjas are cooler than pirates.
  43. Apple juice is better than orange juice.
  44. Every classroom should have a class hamster.
  45. Rainy days are more fun than sunny days.
  46. It's better to be the oldest sibling than the youngest.
  47. Books should have more pictures than words.
  48. Watching TV is better than playing outside.
  49. Lunch is the most important part of the school day.
  50. Dragons are scarier than ghosts.
  51. Ice cream is the best food in the world.
  52. Roller coasters are better than water slides.
  53. Talking to animals is the best superpower.
  54. Waffles are better than pancakes.
  55. Every school should have a swimming pool.
  56. Astronauts have the coolest job.
  57. Blue is the best color.
  58. Cereal should be eaten with cold milk.
  59. Camping is better than staying in a hotel.
  60. Bicycles are better than scooters.
  61. Every kid should learn how to magic tricks.
  62. Stuffed animals are better than toy cars.
  63. Movies should always have a happy ending.
  64. Fruit is better than candy.
  65. The zoo is better than the aquarium.
  66. Being tall is better than being fast.
  67. Saturdays are better than Sundays.
  68. Lego is the best toy ever invented.
  69. School holidays are too long.
  70. The weekend should be three days long.
  71. Learning to cook is as important as learning to read.
  72. Cereal is a type of soup.
  73. A hotdog is a sandwich.

Debate any of these against an AI opponent →

More intermediate debate topics 104 more · 114 total

The 10 quick-start resolutions are above. Continue with 104 more topics that need reasons and examples on both sides.

  1. Cell phones should be banned in schools.
  2. All students should be required to volunteer in the community.
  3. Social media does more harm than good for kids.
  4. Junk food should not be sold in schools.
  5. Students should wear uniforms in middle school.
  6. Zoos are harmful to animals.
  7. Every student should participate in a sport.
  8. Television teaches more than it harms.
  9. Community service should be required to graduate.
  10. Parents should limit screen time for children.
  11. Books are better than movies.
  12. It's better to have one close friend than many casual friends.
  13. Being creative is more important than being smart.
  14. Technology makes us less social.
  15. Failure is a better teacher than success.
  16. It's okay to lie if it protects someone's feelings.
  17. School days should be shorter.
  18. Public transportation should be free for students.
  19. Peer pressure can sometimes be a good thing.
  20. Social networking sites are bad.
  21. Kids should be allowed to purchase anything with their allowance, as long as it is legal.
  22. Parents should be punished for their kids' mistakes.
  23. Brains get you further in life than beauty.
  24. Lying can be moral.
  25. All junk food should be banned from schools.
  26. School hours should be changed to 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  27. Private school is better than public school.
  28. All students should get to choose half their classes.
  29. Computers should replace teachers.
  30. Football should be banned from school sports.
  31. Every student should play a musical instrument.
  32. PE should be required of all students throughout middle and high school.
  33. All schoolwork should be paperless.
  34. The Internet should be banned from schools.
  35. All parents should be required to attend parenting classes.
  36. Play is more important than work.
  37. Technology does more harm than good.
  38. All students should be required to take a cooking class.
  39. Teachers should require homework.
  40. It's better to be poor with many friends than to be rich with no friends.
  41. Children are smarter than their parents.
  42. Fashion is more important than function.
  43. The pen is mightier than the sword.
  44. Strict teachers are better than lenient teachers.
  45. It is better to be brave than cautious.
  46. Studying alone is better than in groups.
  47. It is better to have many friends than one best friend.
  48. Physical education should be required in schools.
  49. Students should be required to learn a foreign language.
  50. Technology is good for the classroom.
  51. It is more important to be honest than to be kind.
  52. It is better to be confident than humble.
  53. Art in school is as important as science.
  54. Should community service be required for graduation?
  55. Social media accounts should have a minimum age of 13.
  56. Professional athletes are paid too much money.
  57. Competitive sports do more harm than good for kids.
  58. Plastic water bottles should be banned in schools.
  59. Schools should replace all paper books with iPads.
  60. Kids should receive a monthly allowance from their parents.
  61. Standardized testing is not a good way to measure intelligence.
  62. It is better to be a 'big fish in a small pond.'
  63. Peer pressure is mostly negative.
  64. Parents should be allowed to read their children's text messages.
  65. Curiosity is more important than hard work.
  66. We should spend more money exploring the ocean than space.
  67. School should start at 10:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM.
  68. Cursive writing should still be taught in schools.
  69. Financial literacy (money management) should be a required class.
  70. Reality TV is a bad influence on society.
  71. It is better to be 'book smart' than 'street smart.'
  72. Kids should be allowed to have smartphones in the 5th grade.
  73. Winning is more important than how you play the game.
  74. Public schools are better than homeschooling.
  75. Everyone should be required to recycle.
  76. Giving a gift is better than receiving one.
  77. Soft drinks should be banned for people under 18.
  78. Typing is more important than handwriting.
  79. AI (like ChatGPT) should be allowed for brainstorming essays.
  80. Modern music is worse than music from the past.
  81. Experience is a better teacher than a classroom.
  82. All public transport should be free.
  83. Graffiti is a form of art, not vandalism.
  84. E-books are better than printed books.
  85. Self-driving cars will make the world safer.
  86. Every citizen should be required to vote.
  87. Homework should be replaced by after-school clubs.
  88. Plastic packaging should be banned for all fruits and vegetables.
  89. Gaming should be a recognized school sport.
  90. NASA's budget should be increased.
  91. Fast food restaurants should be responsible for obesity.
  92. Electric cars are the only way to save the planet.
  93. Reading fiction is more useful than reading non-fiction.
  94. Single-use plastic should be banned.
  95. All people should be vegetarians.
  96. The moon should be colonized.
  97. Letter grades should be replaced with progress reports.
  98. Schools should ban soda and candy entirely.
  99. The minimum age for social media should be 16.
  100. Parents should have the right to track their children's phones.
  101. AI tools like ChatGPT are a threat to learning.
  102. Smartphones should be banned from classrooms.
  103. Professional athletes should be paid less than doctors.
  104. People should be required by law to recycle.

Debate any of these against an AI opponent →

More advanced debate topics 62 more · 72 total

The 10 quick-start resolutions are above. Continue with 62 more policy, ethics, and abstract topics for experienced debaters and competition practice.

  1. Nations have a moral obligation to accept refugees.
  2. Governments should have the right to monitor citizens' online activity.
  3. Cancel culture does more harm than good.
  4. Space exploration should be funded over solving problems on Earth.
  5. It is more important to fund education than the military.
  6. The ends justify the means.
  7. Free speech should have limits.
  8. Compulsory voting should be introduced.
  9. Single-use plastics should be banned worldwide.
  10. Privacy should be a right.
  11. It is morally acceptable to steal.
  12. Walt Disney has done better for humanity than William Shakespeare.
  13. Breaking the law is okay if you are protesting.
  14. The voting age should be decreased to 15.
  15. The Olympics should always be held in Greece.
  16. Humans should explore space.
  17. Using the atomic bomb is never justified.
  18. Solar energy should replace all traditional forms of energy.
  19. Security is more important than freedom.
  20. It is sometimes right for the government to restrict freedom of speech.
  21. Humans are becoming the most dangerous animals on the planet.
  22. Government should provide housing for everyone.
  23. Children should have the right to vote.
  24. Humans should try to live forever.
  25. Artificial Intelligence is a threat to human creativity.
  26. Universal Basic Income (free money for all) is a good idea.
  27. Surveillance cameras in public places do more harm than good.
  28. Animal testing is necessary for medical progress.
  29. College should be free for every citizen.
  30. Free speech should have limits on social media platforms.
  31. Space colonization is a waste of resources that should be spent on Earth.
  32. It is better to be respected than to be liked.
  33. Standardized tests should be removed from college admissions.
  34. The United States should switch to a popular vote for President.
  35. Governments should regulate the amount of time people spend on phones.
  36. Honesty is not always the best policy.
  37. Technology is making us more lonely, not more connected.
  38. Wealthy nations have a moral obligation to help poorer nations.
  39. Censorship is never justified.
  40. Vegetarianism is the only ethical way to eat.
  41. The minimum wage should be $25 an hour.
  42. History is written by the winners and cannot be trusted.
  43. Self-driving cars should be mandatory to reduce accidents.
  44. Online school is as effective as in-person school.
  45. Competitive debates should be a required part of the curriculum.
  46. Happiness is an objective that can be measured.
  47. Scientific progress is moving too fast for human ethics.
  48. Beauty is entirely subjective.
  49. The internet has done more harm than good for humanity.
  50. Humanity will eventually be replaced by machines.
  51. Cryptocurrency will replace traditional money.
  52. The development of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) should be paused.
  53. Nations should have no borders.
  54. The exploration of the deep sea is more important than space.
  55. Inheritance tax should be 100% to ensure equal opportunity.
  56. The patenting of life-saving medicines should be illegal.
  57. Social media algorithms should be open-source by law.
  58. Genetically modified crops are the only way to end world hunger.
  59. Work-from-home should be a legal right for all office jobs.
  60. The use of facial recognition by police should be banned.
  61. Humans have a moral duty to prevent animal suffering in the wild.
  62. A world government is the only way to solve climate change.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a debate resolution?

A debate resolution is the single statement two sides argue about, like "Cell phones should be banned in schools." One side (affirmative) argues for it, the other side (negative) argues against it. A good resolution is debatable, clear, and balanced so both sides have a fair case.

What are good debate resolutions for students?

Good student resolutions are clear, age-appropriate statements with reasonable arguments on both sides. Useful starting areas include school rules, technology, the environment, artificial intelligence, society, and ethics. Choose a resolution, take a side, and support it with a claim, reason, and example.

What makes a good debate topic for students?

Pick a resolution students have opinions about and that has real arguments on both sides. Start concrete ("Homework should be banned") and move to policy and ethics ("The voting age should be lowered to 16") as skills grow. This page groups topics from beginner to advanced so you can match the level.

How do you build a debate case?

Pick your side, then make a few clear arguments, each with a claim, a reason, and an example or piece of evidence. Anticipate the other side's best points and prepare responses. Practice delivering your case out loud and timing it.

How can I practice debate by myself?

Pick a resolution, choose a side, and argue it out loud. In VoxStar you debate a full SPAR round against an AI opponent — constructive, crossfire, and rebuttal — and get judge-style feedback on your reasoning and delivery. It is free to start on iOS and Android.