20 Good Debate Topics for Elementary Students

Published on June 13, 2017 at 5:46 am by Nusreta Beranac in Lists

If you need fresh ideas for debates for kids then read our list of 20 good debate topics for elementary students.

We recently mentioned how the school helps us develop certain skills that are needed later in life although we may not be aware of that fact while we are at school. At that age, there are quite a few things we don’t understand actually. But nevertheless, some school activities like debates help us become better speakers. Debates help us shape our rhetorical skills, and teach us to research, organize, and present information. They do wonders for our confidence and self-esteem. In addition, they teach us how to use our brains and present reasoned arguments instead of simply fighting with other people which is not cool at all. We discussed the numerous benefits that debates have in one of our previous articles, such as the fact that through debating children are actually preparing for the future without even knowing it. Since it is not possible for two or more people to completely agree on everything in life, we need to learn how to accept different opinions as everyone has the right to have an opinion. When debating, students often have to represent a point of view they might not agree with and they have to do it like they truly mean it. They need to come up with the best arguments they can to defend a certain attitude, regardless of their own opinion.

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Another important thing children learn through debates is teamwork as they have to work together and give their best to successfully represent the position they may or may not agree with. Teamwork is a skill that all employers seek when interviewing candidates for a job so as soon as we acquire this skill the better.

But there are more benefits from debates. For example, it helps them to learn how to separate the speaker from the words spoken. Sometimes people do not hold the opinion they represent, even though it appears so. That is why we must separate those two and we must never take it personally. If a person is arguing against something that we represent, it may not necessarily mean that they disagree with it. It is simply their task to do so. This is important as we will often come across situations like these in our adulthood and we need to learn how to deal with them.

In conclusion, debates are great because they help develop critical thinking and enable us to express our opinion in a compelling way. Choosing a topic for a debate can be quite a challenge so we’re here to help. In one of our previous articles we wrote about 11 Fun Debate Topics for Kindergarten, and today we made an effort to find great debate topics for elementary school students. We found some of the ideas on Buzzle and Kids World, but some of them are simply common knowledge based on kids interest nowadays. Check out our 20 good debate topics for elementary students.

20. Is Year-Round Schooling Necessary?

This is something that probably no child would agree with as they are very fond of summer breaks and all days when there’s no school. Let’s be honest, school is not popular and year-round schooling would be a nightmare for kids.

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19. Are School Uniforms Needed?

This is an old question but there will always be children who dislike them badly. Are school uniforms really necessary? It makes you wonder at least for a moment. Listening to their arguments would certainly be fun.

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18. Should Animals be Kept in Cages?

Children love animals. They are hardly aware of all the harm that mankind does to animals at that age (and it’s better that way) but seeing animals locked in cages bothers many of them. Should animals be free or kept in cages for our entertainment?

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17. Should Homework Be Banned?

It’s no secret that homework is as popular as school is. So not at all actually. Who prefers doing homework when it’s sunny outside and your friends are all doing something more fun?It’s a good debate topic because it never seizes to be popular.

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16. School Must be Voluntary

All those kids who dislike school will love this topic among our others on our list of 20 good debate topics for elementary students. Unless they end up in a team that actually has to represent the opposite opinion. But if it was up to us to choose whether to go to school or not, it would probably be empty most of the time.

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15. Should The Duration of School be Increased?

Similar to the previous question, the number 15 on our list of good debate topics for elementary students would also be a good debate topic for elementary school students. It would spark a great discussion that would certainly be interesting to hear.

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14. Should Animals be Used For Experiments?

Like I already said, considering how much children love animals, they would probably disagree with animals being used in scientific experiments. What do children think about this?

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13. Do Video Games Trigger Violent Behavior?

Video games simply had to be included in our list of good debate topics for elementary school students. Is there a kid who dislikes video games? Probably not. And they would probably try to defend them as hard as they can.

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12. Should Mobile Phones in School be Banned?

Are mobile phones really necessary in elementary school?Is it really smart to give them mobile phones which distract them from learning? Most children carry them to school nowadays but the question remains.

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11. Cats or Dogs?

We may not understand how some people are so fond of cats while other simply love dogs but that’s just how it is. Personally, I don’t believe that there is one correct answer as we are all different and that’s OK. But it’s a good debate topic for elementary school.

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10. Is Vegetarian Food Better Than Non-Vegetarian Food?

The question of food is extremely popular lately as more and more people are switching to various diets, including vegetarian food. Everyone wants to eat healthy food nowadays and considering the popularity of this subject it would be a good debate topic for school. Now, let’s see what else we have on our list of good debate topics for elementary students.

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9. Are Aliens Real?

We have all watched a lot of alien-themed movies, and we may or may not believe in aliens. But how do children perceive this matter? Do they think aliens are real? They can really express their critical thinking skills in this debate.

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8. Should Smoking be Banned?

While it is a disgusting and harmful habit that will eventually kill us, people still have the right to have an opinion even if it implies that smoking is not bad. Children learn from our examples so teaching them about the importance of this issue and making them really think about it can help them realize the dangers of smoking.

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7. Should Grades be Abolished?

Grades are not very popular among students although many of them struggle to keep good grades throughout the entire schooling. Do we learn for the sake of learning or for the sake of good grades? That’s an interesting question.

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6. Social Media

We’re all infected with this disease called the social media that ranks 6th on our list of good debate topics for elementary students. It’s understandable when we talk about adults using social media on a daily basis, but is it OK for children to use social media?

5. Science or Art?

This actually depends on the individual and again I must say that there’s no one correct answer. Some people are created for making beautiful art and others are great in understanding the rules of the world we live in. Which one will win in this debate, science or art?

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4. Summer or Winter?

Are you the type of person who prefers going to beaches and swimming pools and enjoying the sun, or the type of person who likes to play in the snow and enjoy the whiteness of winter? Which season brings the most joy?

3. Sports or Games?

Both activities are super fun. Physical activity is very important for kids (as well as for adults) but games have their good sides, too. Which one will kids choose and why?

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2. Should Teachers be Replaced by Computers?

Technology has become so present in our lives that it has become impossible to imagine living in a world without it. But can it replace teachers? Is technology developed enough that all educators have become redundant or do we still need teachers to guide us through education? This is one of the debate topics that really makes you think so it’s a good topic for elementary school. Now, let’s see the number one on our list of good debate topics for elementary students.

1. Books or Video Games?

We finish our list of 20 good debate topics for elementary students with this question because we leave the best for the end. Book lovers will always choose books over video games but choosing this as a debate topic would definitely spark a great discussion.