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In its ideal form, debate is a tried-and-true way to get students engaging more purposefully with their readings. Not only does it allow them to see multiple perspectives on an issue, it allows them to hear those perspectives as inhabited by their peers, and encourages them to listen more intently to each other before responding.

Preparing students to have the most meaningful debate possible, however, can prove difficult. Many students may come to the classroom with preconceived notions about what it means to “debate,” derived either from the high-intensity world of high school parliamentary debate (which can privilege speed and dominance over careful listening, generosity, and reflection) or from political campaigns (in which “debates” have become something closer to performance art than to intellectual discussion). Unless instructors address these preconceptions head-on and structure classroom debates with these possible preconceptions in mind, they risk simply encouraging their most pugilistic students, while discouraging exactly the kind of thoughtful dialogue they were seeking.

At the Bok Center, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Jill Lepore , the David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History, and Erika Bailey , Head of Voice and Speech at the American Repertory Theater, to develop some ways that instructors can help their students become more proficient at classroom debate. In her General Education course The Democracy Project, Prof. Lepore takes care to train her students in a set of common rhetorical “moves” and argumentative patterns that can make extemporaneous debate easier and more fluent. By cultivating habits of speaking and arguing that allow students more consciously to articulate and structure—and not merely report—their thought process, instructors can level the playing field among students with different degrees of expertise in debate and to keep the focus on the quality of their ideas.

Three Activities that Help Students Think to Speak

In order to help students articulate their arguments, we developed three scaffolded activities that can be run as a single hour-long workshop, building from

• a low-stakes “warm-up” round that uses a silly proposition to introduce students to the general idea of using a rhetorical toolkit, to
• a second round that gets students to translate these basic rhetorical gestures into a set of more sophisticated “moves,” and to apply them to a more serious proposition, to
• a final set of rounds that lets students apply the unpacked moves from round two to a debatable topic from their course, with the added goal of sequencing these moves effectively in order to create the narrative arc or syntax of a persuasive argument.

Below you’ll find a brief round-by-round guide for running the activities, together with the “deck” of moves we printed out and cut into individual decks of playing cards for each student.

First Round — with a “silly” proposition

• Download our deck of simple rhetorical gestures and think of a silly (though debatable!) proposition—e.g., “Tacos are delicious” or “Mondays are the worst.”
• Arrange students in a circle, with you in the middle.
• Introduce the silly proposition, and let students know that you’ll randomly present them with a “move” to which they’ll respond.
• E.g. if the first student says “Tacos are delicious,” and the second student is dealt “However…,” she might say, “However, burritos are even more delectable.”

Second Round — with a “serious” proposition

• That single-gender clubs should be abolished at Harvard.
• That it is contrary to the academic spirit to deny controversial speakers a forum on campus.
• That Russian athletes should be banned from participating in the Olympics.
• That all first-year students should be taught meditation to reduce stress on campus.
• This time, you might want to call time-out after a student responds and ask him/her (or a peer) how they might hone that response to make it more memorable, e.g. by rephrasing it with more parallel structure.

Third Round — order the argument

• Download our deck of sophisticated moves and our simplified guide to the parts of an argument .
• Pair students and assign them / have them choose a real debate proposition from your course.
• Have them arrange the cards of debate moves in the order in which they might use them to build an argument for their proposition.
• Have them practice speaking their way through the argument to each other.
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How to Write a Debate Outline

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 229,780 times.

Debates are a common assignment in high school and college classes where 2 individuals or teams present opposing arguments about a particular issue or question. Although you may feel like you debate people all the time, writing a debate outline requires a bit more research and organization than simply arguing with someone. Fortunately, once you know how to effectively categorize and present the evidence for your argument, writing a debate outline is a relatively straightforward process.

Researching for Your Debate

• Team debates are one of the most common debate forms. In the first half of the debate, each team has two segments to present arguments for their side. In the second half of the debate, each team has two segments to rebut arguments presented in the first half.
• Lincoln-Douglas debates are set up to allow one side to present their arguments, and then the other team to cross-examine them. The second team then presents their arguments and has the first team cross-examine them. Finally, each team has an opportunity for a final rebuttal.

• For example, if the topic of the debate is on the environmental impact of gas cars versus electric cars, gather research from academic journals and consumer watchdogs on carbon emissions, what impact carbon has on environmental degradation, and statements from experts on the topic, such as environmental scientists and car manufacturers.
• If you're writing the debate outline for an assignment and can't pick your own side, focus on gathering as much evidence as possible to strengthen the argument you're tasked with making.
• Whatever argument you ultimately make, make sure that it is logically sound and that you have convincing, relevant evidence that supports it.
• Be sure to note all bibliographical information on your notes.
• For every supporting piece of evidence you find for your case, try to find another piece of evidence to counter it. This will help you build your argument later.
• It is better to include more points than you think you will need, than not doing enough research and lacking evidence.

• For instance, if your most compelling piece of evidence is a graph that shows that gas cars emit twice as much carbon as electric cars, place this at the top of your evidence list.
• If you have a fairly lengthy debate planned, break up your case evidence into categorical sections. For example, you could have legal, moral, and economic support for your case.
• Aim to have a minimum of 3 supporting facts or pieces of evidence in your case outline.

Creating the Basic Outline

• Subdivide information. Main headings will probably consist of arguments, while subheadings will contain different pieces of supporting evidence.
• Use correct symbols. Each level of the outline has a particular symbol to use. The main headings will use Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV). Subheadings use capital letters (A, B, C). Sub-sub headings use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). Keep these consistent throughout your outline.
• Indent each level. Indentation helps you follow the line of argument and keeps your outline organized.

• Your thesis statement should explain which side of the debate you'll be taking and why your case is stronger than your opponent's.
• For example, if you're debating whether gas cars or electric cars are cleaner, your thesis statement might be: “Electric cars are cleaner than gas cars.”

• For example, if you're arguing that electric cars are cleaner than gas cars because they produce less carbon dioxide, your first main point would be: “Electric cars produce less carbon dioxide emissions than gas cars.”

• For example, the evidence that electric cars produce less carbon dioxide emissions than gas cars might include statistical information compiled by the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.

• For example, if you're pretty confident that your opponent will argue that your evidence relies on biased sources, you can prepare a rebuttal to that claim by finding additional evidence to support your argument from a variety of sources.
• Look to find rebuttals for both the individual parts of their argument in addition to the whole of it. This will fortify your position in the debate.
• Many times their argument will be the opposite of yours, so while your argument lists the pros, theirs is listing the cons of a particular value. If you pay attention to this, you will be able to not only prove their side of the argument invalid, but also help to further promote your own.

• Write this more detailed outline as if you were actually speaking in the debate. This will help you to better understand your own argument and come up with logical questions and rebuttals for your opponent.

Avoiding Logical Fallacies

• For example, if you're promoting the abolition of the death penalty, your opponent might commit the straw man by accusing you of lacking sympathy for the families of victims, and that you don't want true criminals to pay for their crimes.

• For example, if you're arguing for legalizing gay marriage and your opponent says that it is a bad idea, because soon enough we will be legalizing polygamy and bestial relationships in all the states.

• For example, if you've presented a well-crafted argument for your case but your opponent has not, they may instead try to call out your bad grades as a rebuttal. Even if this is true, it isn't relevant to the topic of the debate and therefore isn't logically valid.
• Even if your opponent brings personal issues and insults into a debate, you should never do this back to them. Not only is it logically fallacious; it's also widely considered rude.

• For example, if you were to claim that electric cars are “always” cleaner than gas cars, your opponent might point out that a gas car in a carwash is cleaner than an electric car covered in mud. To avoid this fallacy, steer clear of ambiguous words like “always.”

• For example, it would be logically fallacious to argue that the death penalty is the most effective form of punishment just because most people support it.

• For example, your opponent states that as a result, the only two options are to legalize all drugs or to outlaw them.

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Debates are based on evidence, support, and organization. Do your best to find appropriate resources and to keep your arguments easy to follow. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Do not rely on emotional appeals. Though emotional appeals are a powerful motivator for change, debates are based on logic and evidence. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/frame_found_sr2/tns/tn-13.pdf
• ↑ https://learn.stleonards.vic.edu.au/debating/files/2013/08/DEBATING-CHEAT-SHEET.pdf
• ↑ https://www.wittenberg.edu/sites/default/files/media/occ/forms/debate.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/developing_an_outline/types_of_outlines.html
• ↑ https://valenciacollege.edu/students/learning-support/winter-park/communications/documents/SampleArgumentOutline.pdf
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/four-step-refutation
• ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/CC3BFEEB-C364-E1A1-A5390F221AC0FD2D/avoiding_logical_fallacies.pdf
• ↑ https://www.palomar.edu/users/bthompson/Fallacies%20of%20Ambiguity.html

About This Article

To write a debate outline, start by writing down your primary argument or the case you are trying to prove. Under your argument, list the supporting evidence so that the most powerful and persuasive evidence is presented first. Then, list potential questions or arguments that may be brought up by the other side, along with different ways to counter them. Finally, organize your outline using headings, subheadings, and bulleted lists, and write out each section in complete, detailed sentences. For more advice, including how to avoid logical fallacies that can hurt or weaken your argument, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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College Debates and Discourse

College leaders are applauding the dynamic partnership that ACTA has forged with Braver Angels and the student group BridgeUSA to launch a civil debates program for students on college campuses nationwide. Properly conducted debates can have a depolarizing and transformational effect on students—teaching them to engage respectfully with each other on divisive social and political issues.

Braver Angels provides a proven debate methodology, programs, and workshops that teach students to engage with empathy and civility.

ACTA brings myriad connections to college leadership and faculty, as well as project management and media expertise.

BridgeUSA has a wide network of chapters on college campuses, led by students dedicated to civic engagement.

What is the College Debates and Discourse Alliance?

Braver Angels, ACTA and BridgeUSA have forged an acclaimed program that teaches students to honor ideological diversity, foster civil discourse on college campuses, and cultivate student and faculty leaders to carry the movement forward. Braver Angels debates are not competitive; nor are they performative events separating speakers and audiences. They are immersive and highly participatory, inviting everyone in the room to express themselves freely in a collective search for truth. Conducted in a light parliamentary format and chaired by trained experts, they teach students to express their views, frame persuasive arguments, listen deeply, and engage respectfully around the most challenging political and social issues dividing our nation today. We’ve developed an efficient and highly collaborative approach with faculty and students to organize debates around topics and resolutions usually chosen by the students themselves. Each debate has its own unique qualities and is tailored to the particular campus community. As of fall semester 2023, we have launched more than 200 campus and classroom debates , engaging 7,000+ students from 80+colleges and universities . Remarkably, during the pandemic, the program flourished and grew exponentially as we took debates online to enable many more students and college institutions to participate. At present, we run a robust hybrid model of on-campus as well as Zoom-based debates, depending on a school’s preferences and local protocols. Our partnerships with college faculty are expanding, as more instructors and professors connect with us to incorporate Braver Angels debates into their curricula and lesson plans. Quick resources for faculty: • Our Curricular Toolkit is available for faculty who want to work with us to implement an engaging classroom debate assignment for students. • Download a list of debate topics chosen by students and faculty, by right-clicking HERE . • Our new eCourse module for debate chair training is available for faculty and student leaders. • View a current list of colleges and universities we have partnered with since 2018.

Conducted on campus or on Zoom, student debates can be scaled as follows:

• In-classroom (during regular class sessions of an hour or more)
• Intra-collegiate (one college campus community)
• Inter-collegiate (across a set of multiple campuses)
• National (drawing participants across the country)

Video: The Transformative Impact of College Debates

College faculty, students, and program leaders explain how Braver Angels debates can have a depolarizing, transformative effect on students, teaching them to engage respectfully with each other on difficult and divisive issues.

Featured Debates

Spring semester 2023

University of Tennessee-Knoxville assault weapons debate co-organized with UTK’s Institute of American Civics

University of Missouri free speech debate

First quarter 2023

Linn Benton Community College, Oregon – AI debate for students and faculty together

Utah State University – co-organized with Office of Utah Governor Spencer Cox (who attended and participated)

University of Baltimore social media debate

Gettysburg College debate on the Second Amendment – click here for news coverage

University of North Carolina – Greensboro debate on NC legislation Measure SB49. Click here for an article published by the Martin Center.

Molloy University debate on sports vs arts program spending

Fall semester 2022

Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi abortion debate

Princeton University debate on parental influence on public education

Spring semester 2022

Denison University debate on campus Greek Life

Spring semester 2021

Georgia State University – Click HERE for report and faculty testimonial.

Allegany College of Maryland & Frostburg State University healthcare debate for college students and community citizens

Texas Wesleyan University debate on defunding police departments

Manhattan College debate on vaccine mandates

Fall semester 2020

Yale Political Union – National intercollegiate debate

The range of colleges and universities we partner with is diverse, including large and small public and private, religious and minority serving institutions. Click here for a full list .

• Abilene Christian University
• Allegany College of Maryland
• American University
• Arizona State University
• Baylor University
• Biola University
• Carthage College
• Christopher Newport University
• The College of Wooster
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dakota Wesleyan University
• Denison University
• Duke University
• East Tennessee State University
• Fairfield University
• Frostburg State University
• George Mason University
• The George Washington University. . . Click here for a full list of institutions

January 2021

The Transformative Power of Braver Angels College Debates

Since 2018, Braver Angels has teamed with ACTA to launch civil debates and workshops for students across the nation. College leaders applaud the program’s transformative, depolarizing influence on students as they learn to engage respectfully around highly charged social and political issues. Program director Doug Sprei unpacks the method and magic with college instructors David Dagan of The George Washington University; Mark Urista of […]

August 2019

April Lawson: Leading Better Angels Debates to Depolarize America

April Lawson is the director and lead architect of debates at Better Angels, a national organization that has surged into the spotlight by effectively teaching citizens to combat polarization and restore civil dialogue across America. April’s leadership informs Better Angels’ partnership with ACTA — and our shared vision to help students build a culture of respectful […]

Manu Meel: Students Bridging the Political Divide

Manu Meel, a rising senior at the University of California–Berkeley who serves as the CEO of BridgeUSA, discusses how students can reform our political culture by bringing constructive discourse back to our college campuses.  

August 2018

David Blankenhorn: Depolarizing America with Better Angels

ACTA is proudly partnering with Better Angels, a depolarization initiative that has grown explosively and drawn wide media attention since its launch shortly after the 2016 election. We sat down with founder David Blankenhorn to explore how Better Angels brings thousands of conservatives and progressives—and a growing community of students—together in civil debate and dialogue.

Testimonials

This debate was incredible. I really appreciated the different perspectives. This was certainly a pleasure to be a part of, and I think it gave everyone that attended a chance to feel truly listened to and not like we were in a meaningless yelling match on social media.

Steven Student at Texas Wesleyan University

I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the work that you do in promoting civil discourse and constructive dialogue among people with differing political perspectives. The students who participated did an exceptional job of preparing and presenting their arguments clearly and concisely—while demonstrating a willingness to listen and engage with opposing viewpoints. Through the discussion, the different assumptions and expectations for the bill by each side emerged. The chair and debate format was instrumental in guiding this encounter and ensuring that everyone had a chance to speak and be heard and respected.

Professor Greg McAvoy Head of the Political Science Department University of North Carolina – Greensboro

It was inspiring to see Duke students engage in such a rich conversation about free speech on college campuses, cancel culture, and related issues. I am a huge fan of the work that Braver Angels and ACTA are doing here at Duke University. We’re beneficiaries of that important work. In my nine years at Duke, it was one of the most memorable experiences that we’ve had.

Deondra Rose Associate Professor of Public Policy Director, Polis Center for Politics Sanford School of Public Policy Duke University

As an instructor, I was exceptionally pleased with the debate. It was a fantastic opportunity to give a large class of 180 students the chance to feel like they were participating in a meaningful debate. The end-of-quarter evaluations also highlighted how much students valued this opportunity. I would happily include this again in my class. Given the impacts on civility and format, I would put the Braver Angels debate earlier in the quarter. Thank you all again for helping my class so fundamentally. It was the highlight of the class and the quarter.

Matt McGarrity, Teaching Professor Director,  Center for Speech & Debate Department of Communication University of Washington

We hear from many students that hyperpolarization and negative media coverage are driving them away from politics. The Braver Angels Debate offered them a different model: one in which they could discuss a controversial issue in a safe space. It was so inspiring to see students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, listen deeply and respectfully to each other, and come away energized and enthusiastically asking Salem State to do this again soon.  

Vanessa Ruget Professor, Politics, Policy and International Relations Department  President, Northeastern Political Science Association Salem State University 

The effect of debate on the students as well as the faculty has been thoroughly positive.  For many of the students, the debate marked the first time that they felt comfortable (again, “safe”) in a public setting, not only to speak their minds, but also to  listen  to opinions with which they disagree. One student expressed after the debate that she had worried about getting “triggered” by the topic, but the open, encouraging, and collective style of the debate put the student as ease. Everyone who participated in the event unanimously agreed that they would like to have another Braver Angels debate and hoped that this would become a regular event at Molloy University. We also would like to expand the debate beyond the Honors Program to the entire student-body as well as to include local area high school students.  

Howard Ponzer Professor and Philosophy Department Chair Molloy University

The Braver Angles Debate style is exactly what colleges should be pushing forward. I have never before felt as comfortable discussing an issue where I was not speaking on the ‘popular’ side. The debate was kept calm and collected; nothing ever went out of hand. I greatly appreciated this debate and hope I can be a speaker in future events of this type. It was a great experience for me and I think it was a great experience for others too.

Bren Routly Student at Georgia State University

I think all of us have identified the same issue, which is this sort of toxic polarization, non-constructive discourse and just screaming at each other. So this type of debate is super useful for the Berkeley community precisely because of its historical significance. It’s no secret this is a left-leaning stronghold. But having the ability to exchange ideas and gain different perspectives is how we come to solutions. It’s how we engage each other in a way that actually means well in good faith, and try to work towards something that both sides can agree on.

Isaac Huang Student at University of California-Berkeley

I believe that debates in this parliamentary fashion on divisive topics, like our topic of gun control, are imperative in universities around the U.S. They promote a sense of civil cooperation, civic virtue, and being able to specifically speak for yourself and hear what the other individual wants to say. I would love to see more of these debates on Christopher Newport’s campus, because they’re fun, enticing and engaging. It’s one thing talking with your friends about political discourse, but it’s another thing standing up there and saying, ‘this is what I believe and why I believe it.’

Raqan Z. Student at Christopher Newport University

We talk about the term ‘political’ debate, and it conjures up adversarial connotations. But clearly this is a political debate that does not have to be that way. And to bring it to a college campus, where intellectual inquiry is supposed to be at the heart, goes to show the power of the university allowing voices to be democratically, politically and respectfully heard. So I think it could bring back a sense of reverence for institutions themselves, because they can be bastions of civil debate as well.

Moria h Poliakoff Student at Christopher Newport University

What I’ve really enjoyed as an instructor is watching students who have completely divergent perspectives on incredibly controversial issues come together to plan a Braver Angels event where all of those perspectives can be expressed. If you look at the polarization in this country, if you look at what employers are saying about increased conflict in the workplace over really controversial social issues, it demonstrates that these skills are needed now, possibly more than ever.

Mark Urista Instructor, Linn-Benton Community College

With Civic House, we aim to make the students leaders in their communities and on the GW campus. We came back to ACTA and Braver Angels because the students had such a positive experience in the fall semester planning and implementing their debate. They wanted to be able to do it again and have a different topic and work together as a team. And they were really able to hone their leadership skills and improve on their teamwork to plan this awesome event for GW students and students at other schools.

Maddie News Student at The George Washington University

I definitely think it was worthwhile. I really enjoyed the debate and felt it was really civil. I feel like civility is lost with a lot of debates and arguments, especially with politics and even simple things like online schooling. It’s really good to talk with other students about how they feel; we all have different experiences in life, and we bring that to our debate. That’s really important to share, especially in hard times like this, where we all learn differently.

Cloe Madden Student at Linn-Benton Community College

To a new college student who is considering attending a Braver Angels debate, I would say through a format like this, you can learn about what the other side thinks, in a way that you can’t on social media. You’ll probably be surprised at how much you have in common with them and how much more reasonable they are than you might have thought beforehand. And it’s not only an opportunity to learn about the topic, but also to increase your confidence in being able to think and articulate yourself better about the topic. It’s just good practice in all those areas. So it enhances your education, as well as helping to bridge divides in our country.

Susannah Cray Student at Linn-Benton Community College

I was honored to be able to prepare an opening statement for the Braver Angels debate at Magdalen College. My debate partner and I had prepared for several days beforehand, ready to conquer the other team with our “superior” arguments in favor of social media censorship. When I walked into the room, however, I was surprised to find that the chairs had been set up in a common circle, not divided into two opposing halves. After both teams had presented their opening statements, the other students and faculty were invited to not only ask questions, but also offer their own thoughts and points. When arguments in favor of the opposing side were encouraged, we were no longer two opposing teams, but friends seeking wisdom together. I was excited to offer a few contradictory thoughts myself. My peers provided valuable answers with perspectives that I had not considered. This closely mirrors the Socratic seminar-style classes at Magdalen. At the end, the once-opposing sides had been dissolved, leaving behind a circle of common understanding. Everyone left the debate with increased knowledge of the topics discussed, and greater respect for the perspectives of others.

Daniel Spears Student at Magdalen College

I found the Braver Angels debate to be a very fruitful and enjoyable experience. Unlike a traditional debate format, I felt that no one was just a spectator; there was a real sense of everyone trying together to reach a common understanding of the issue.  Many students got to weigh in, and we heard many different valid and insightful perspectives. I learned that most issues are more complex and nuanced than they first appear, and that someone can legitimately disagree with you without being simply ignorant or ill-willed. After the event, everyone seemed really positive and the vibe was very energized; students were excited to get the chance to have a non-judgemental, but also very real, exchange of ideas, and many of them were eager to have a second debate!  I think that the work of Braver Angels is very important, since it allows students to experience how debate can be spirited, while still being respectful and productive.

John Milliken Student at Magdalen College

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Teaching Argument Through Debate

Although argument is a fundamental part of academic work, many students shy away from what they see as an overly combative writing style. But college-level argumentation actually requires much more subtle skills than just giving a yes-no answer: it requires that students discuss weaknesses as well as strengths, use counterargument, and make concessions. How can we help students gain confidence with this sort of writing? 

In-class debate forces students to take a clear stand on an issue, and also to engage directly with other perspectives. In-class role playing can help students gain a more in-depth view of a text or body of texts by requiring that they recognize both the strengths and the weaknesses and inconsistencies of that text, and prepare an adequate explanation or defense. It feels less threatening to the students than beginning with a written argument. Most importantly, it demands that they take a second and third look at the texts or issues rather than assuming a simplistic stance. It is not a substitute for other sorts of class discussion, but rather a dynamic, interactive way of cementing in students’ minds the many angles from which to explore an issue. Debate is especially useful as a prelude to an argumentative paper or exam assignment.

Here’s one way to set up an in-class debate; this example is based on three philosophical texts that centered around similar issues of justice and social morality: Plato’s Crito, Martin Luther King, Jr.,’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience.” 

Other possibilities for setting up a debate include:

• in a political science course, students role-play a congressional hearing or town meeting
• in a history class, students put a controversial historical figure “on trial”
• in a science class, students put together a case before the NIH/NAS/NASA requesting funding for a new set of experiments or trials.   

Before Class  

Let the students know in advance that there will be a debate scheduled for a particular day, and make clear which texts the debate will focus on. This exercise is better done later in the semester, when students are more comfortable and confident. Ask the students to prepare for the debate by reexamining all the texts (which they have already discussed in class) and jotting down what they see as the primary strengths and weaknesses of each piece, with page numbers and specific quotes as appropriate. I prefer not to provide the specific debate question in advance, as not doing so encourages them to reexamine the whole work.  

During Class  

In class, divide the students into groups (one for each text) and assign each group to one of the texts. On the board write the primary question of the debate (in my case, it was “what is justice, and who should take charge of applying it in society?”). Each group now has twenty minutes. The group should assign one person to be the note-taker, keeping track of important quotes, page numbers, ideas etc. The group together decides what the biggest weaknesses are of the other positions, and discusses how they might critique them from the point of view of “their” author. They also discuss the weaknesses of their own author’s position and how they might defend these. Finally, they prepare an opening statement. As much as possible, the groups should try to use the words of the original texts as support for their assertions.

The first group to speak is determined by random drawing. That group reads their opening statement; the second group drawn responds; then a free-for-all ensues. Students should be encouraged to take as direct an approach as possible, even attacking the other views as they see fit, without making personal attacks on the other participants. The idea is for each group to truly play the role they’ve been assigned. At the End of Class

At the end of the assigned debate time, give students a few minutes to take notes on their impressions of the debate and on anything they’ve learned about the various positions.  

Some Important Considerations  

1. Make sure the students are well-prepared before they begin. They need ample time to examine and interpret the texts, both individually and as a group, for the debate to remain substantive and complex.

2. Divide the groups evenly among quiet and outgoing people. Often quiet students are very strong in the pre-debate discussion, even if they don’t participate as actively in the debate itself. 

3. Require that the students stay well-grounded in the texts or issues they’re working with.

Students generally enjoy in-class debate, and have remarked that it has helped them reconsider stances they initially found puzzling. In some cases the contradictions or subtleties in a stance actually prompted them to change their minds about that author or stance altogether. After participating in an in-class debate, students are better prepared to consider the finer points of an author’s view and more confident in articulating their own views in writing.

Alison Kaufman (Political Science) 

Originally published: Volume 3 – Number 1 (Spring 2002)

200+ Engaging Debate Topics for Students & How to Choose the Right One!

Table of contents

• 1 Interesting Debate Topics for College Students
• 2.1 15 Elementary School Debate Topics
• 2.2 Debate Topics for Middle Schoolers
• 2.3 High School Debate Topics
• 2.4 Debate Topics for University Students
• 3.1 Best Education Debate Topics in 2024
• 3.2 Best Science and Technology Debate Topics
• 3.3 Debate Topics on Health and Medicine
• 3.4 18 Psychology, Sociology, and Ethic Topics
• 3.5 Debate Topics about Policy and Finance
• 3.6 15 Leisure (Music, Games, Etc.) Topics
• 3.7 16 Environmental Debate Topics
• 3.8 Current Debate Topics in History
• 4 35 Funny Debate Topics
• 5 How to Choose a Debate Topic?
• 6.1 Persuasive Debate Topics
• 6.2 Controversial Debate Topics
• 6.3 Argumentative Debate Topics
• 7 How to Debate Using Pro and Con Arguments?

A debate is a common and powerful exercise in colleges. It is a crucial part of the academic program and an engaging activity for young people. However, many students find it challenging to prepare for debates.

One of the most common difficulties is choosing a debate topic. The topic should be interesting to you and relevant to your class or the audience you are addressing.

So, how do you find such a topic? Follow these simple tips:

• Pick a Topic You Care About: Choose something you are passionate about. Your interest in the topic will make your preparation more enjoyable and your arguments more compelling.
• Consider Your Audience: Make sure the topic is relevant and understandable to your audience. Think about what issues matter to them and what will keep them engaged.
• Research Availability: Ensure there is enough information available on both sides of the topic. You’ll need solid evidence to support your arguments and counterarguments.

If you need to prepare an essay, we can help with that too using the custom essay writing service PapersOwl for students.

Interesting Debate Topics for College Students

Here is our best list of debate topics for college students that will spark passionate debates: Debating in school: does it help children get engaged in the classroom?

• Would you rather be honest and poor or dishonest and rich?
• Is there a valid justification for the American war on terror?
• Should the death penalty exist in the modern world, and why?
• How effective are alternative sources of energy?
• Are social networking platforms useful for communication, or are they mainly tools for stalking?
• Is it appropriate to use torture as a part of national security measures?
• Is it justified to develop nuclear energy for commercial use?
• How should we use stem cells in medicine?
• Is there a real way to prolong a human’s life?
• Is it more ethical to use humans for clinical trials than animals?
• Is our behavior determined only by our genes, or do we have personal responsibility?

All these topics can be a good match, but we have prepared even more interesting topics in this article. Continue reading to find your perfect debate topic!

If you feel strongly about choosing the theme of your debate but have no time to prepare all arguments for speech, PapersOwl is here to help you. We offer a wide selection of argumentative essays that are written by professional writers, who are experienced in researching and crafting compelling arguments.

Debate Topics By Levels of Education

Going to debate, students have to consider their level of education to pick a relevant topic that suits both their needs and their level. How to choose a topic that suits you? Below, we have prepared a few tips and examples for different levels.

15 Elementary School Debate Topics

When searching for a perfect topic for elementary students, remember that kids of this level are not experienced and mature enough to handle complex controversial issues, so it’s a good idea to opt for something less complicated. Here you can see a few great ideas for debate topics for elementary students:

• Should our class go on field trips every year?
• Should elementary students be allowed to bring as many toys to school as they wish?
• Is it a good idea for each class to have a pet?
• Should students be allowed to watch cartoons during study hours?
• Should students be able to wear whatever they want to school?
• Should elementary students be required to participate in community service?
• Are outdoor classrooms beneficial for elementary students?
• Is learning to write by hand still important in today’s digital world?
• Should storytelling be used more often in teaching?
• Can board games be used effectively in education?
• Should elementary schools include daily meditation in their schedules?
• Is it important for students to learn basic cooking skills at school?
• Should financial literacy be taught starting in elementary school?
• Is learning a second language early beneficial for students?
• Should schools focus more on physical fitness than academic performance?

Debate Topics for Middle Schoolers

Topics for this level may be more complex and boost students’ analytical and critical thinking skills. For this level, you can opt for slightly controversial topics. Debate topics for middle school still shouldn’t require too much from a student but should give some information to think about for a student to develop an individual position on a specific issue. Here are a few ideas to opt for:

• Do gadgets in the classroom improve or impair learning?
• Which is more educational: books or movies?
• Is participation in sports beneficial for students?
• Should we increase or decrease the number of seasonal holidays?
• What are the effective methods to enhance student participation in class?
• Should schools enforce uniforms?
• Is a vegetarian diet healthier for students?
• Should schools ban the use of smartphones?
• Is it necessary for all students to learn a second language?
• Are annual standardized tests beneficial for students?
• Should arts education be mandatory in schools?
• Is year-round schooling more effective?
• Should physical education be compulsory throughout schooling?
• Are online courses a suitable alternative to traditional learning?
• Should community service be a graduation requirement?

High School Debate Topics

In high school, debates are excellent tools for getting students involved in the class and helping them gain new knowledge and skills that would be important for their future education and life. Debate topics for high school have become more controversial and complex. Below are some good examples of good high school debate topics:

• Do the risks of peer pressure in schools outweigh the benefits?
• Should schools abolish final exams?
• Is sex education necessary for high school students?
• Are GPAs an outdated method of assessing student knowledge?
• What are the best methods to combat bullying in schools?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory?
• Should smartphones be banned in schools?
• Is it essential for students to learn a second language?
• Should arts education be compulsory in schools?
• Are online courses a viable alternative to traditional learning?
• Is too much money harmful to society’s well-being?
• Does a high income guarantee a successful future career?
• Should the minimum wage be linked to the cost of living?
• Are standardized tests failing today’s students?

Debate Topics for University Students

When it comes to choosing debate topics for college or university, there are many things to keep in mind – it has to be controversial, relevant, have significance, and clearly demonstrate a student’s knowledge and skills. Choosing a good topic can be hard. However, in our article, you will find many good examples, and here are a few of them:

• Does living in a dorm help students assimilate into the college community or hurt the educational process?
• Does cheating get worse when students enroll in university or college
• Does technology get in the way of studying, or does it help?
• Should student ID cards come with a tracking device
• Is face-to-face interaction with professors more effective than online sessions and lectures?
• Alternative sources of energy: explain why they are effective or not
• Should we take away the death penalty completely?
• The impact of social networking on the development of our society
• Single-sex schools: are they more effective than traditional ones? Why?
• Should we use school vouchers?
• Prescription drugs: explain why they should or shouldn’t be advertised to consumers
• Beauty pageants: are they a way to objectify women
• Drug testing: explain why we should or shouldn’t make it mandatory for all schools
• Should parents have the possibility to ban certain books from libraries and schools?
• Is setting special curfews an effective way to keep teenagers out of trouble?
• Should financial incentives be offered to teachers in underperforming school districts?
• Are financial incentives effective in improving student performance?
• Should school districts receive more autonomy in curriculum design?
• Is lowering the drinking age beneficial or harmful to society?
• Should underage drinking be treated as a criminal offense?
• Are current social security benefits adequate for today’s elderly?
• Should changes to social security include a minimum guaranteed income?
• Should birth control be made available to teenagers without parental consent?
• Is making birth control accessible a solution to social issues?

List of Debate Topics by Field of Knowledge

It is not possible to  become a great debater if you have no clue how to choose an engaging and relevant topic for your debates. Choosing topics can be hard. However, we have done all the hard work to give you a list of great ideas that can work for any purpose or level, so we hope each of you will find something suitable and interesting in the list below.

Best Education Debate Topics in 2024

• Is home-schooling better than studying at school?
• Should we ban homework, or is it an essential part of our studies that teaches us to work independently?
• Do we consider a college education useful and essential?
• Should schools allow the use of computer tablets?
• Is it better for students to wear school uniforms, or should they have a choice?
• In what ways do standardized tests improve education in America and around the world?
• Should universities require students to know at least one foreign language?
• Is it time to cancel the electoral college system?
• Should universities and colleges pay athletes for playing on their teams?
• Is it necessary for all students applying to college to complete a certain period of community service?
• Should we require elementary school students to wear uniforms?
• Is it beneficial for school to last all year long?
• Should physical education be a compulsory part of the school curriculum?
• How should we address the rising student loan debt crisis?
• Are private schools better than public schools in providing quality education?
• Should school districts receive more funding to improve educational resources?
• Is secondary education adequately preparing students for the workforce?
• Should we reform the electoral college to reflect the popular vote?

Best Science and Technology Debate Topics

• Are cell phones and smartphones safe for us?
• How can science and religion coexist?
• Should children use smartphones?
• Is online study more effective than traditional classroom learning?
• Are people with a mathematical mindset more successful?
• Is space travel worth the cost economically?
• What are the hazards and benefits of genetically modified children?
• Can science progress without animal testing?
• What are the pros and cons of fully automated cars?
• Can laws keep up with today’s internet technology?
• Does technology harm our future?
• Do violent video games lead to aggressive behavior in children?
• Should we regulate artificial intelligence to prevent job loss?
• How can artificial intelligence influence our career?

Debate Topics on Health and Medicine

• What are effective methods to quit smoking, and is smoking reasonable or not?
• Is euthanasia justified?
• Should recreational marijuana be legal or not?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be acceptable for athletes?
• Is vaccination necessary for young children, or are there valid counterarguments?
• How can the legalization of drugs decrease the level of organized crime?
• How does the Internet influence our health?
• What are the hazards of technology for human health?
• Should health insurance be obligatory?
• How does air pollution impact our health?
• Should antibiotics be banned or not?
• Why are some parents against vaccinations?
• What are the pros and cons of alternative medicine?
• Should animal testing be banned?
• How should schools address mental health issues among students?
• Is standardized testing an effective measure of student performance?
• Should junk food be banned in school cafeterias?

18 Psychology, Sociology, and Ethic Topics

• Should adults have the right to carry guns and defend themselves?
• What are the pros and cons of adoption, and why should people adopt children instead of having their own?
• Should same-sex marriage be legal?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Can religious belief make you happy?
• What if prostitution were legal?
• Is there any true proof of God’s existence?
• How has psychology as a science developed over the last decades?
• What explains violent behavior among school students?
• Should students study ethics in schools?
• Is hunting ethical?
• How do social groups influence child behavior?
• Should society ban cigarettes?
• How do we achieve gender equality in the workplace?
• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should countries eliminate nuclear weapons?
• Should birth control be available over the counter?
• Is it necessary to regulate hate speech on social media platforms?

Debate Topics about Policy and Finance

• Do our votes really matter?
• Is it necessary to preserve rights for different types of intellectual property?
• What are the main factors of a country’s financial stability?
• Is taxation good or bad?
• Is the repeal of anti-sodomy laws important for national development?
• Will the USA soon have a woman President?
• Is mobile banking secure?
• Should we trust banks?
• Can we have free education around the world?
• Is it time to adopt a fee-only standard for financial advice?
• Should children learn to manage finances in school?
• Can financial problems destroy a country?
• Should we lower the voting age?
• Should certain minor offenses be decriminalized?
• How should the government handle undocumented immigrants?
• Do stricter laws lead to more crime?

15 Leisure (Music, Games, Etc.) Topics

• Books and TV: which is more interesting and which is more useful?
• Games and television. Which is better?
• Social networking: discuss how social networks are useful or harmful to our society.
• Social networking restrictions: explain why social networks should be available for children or why they should be restricted to those over 18.
• Discuss how social media can make people more or less sociable and give a few examples that prove its usefulness for us.
• Drinks: discuss what are the reasons alcoholic drinks should or should not be available for young people who are less than 21 years old
• How can music help reduce stress?
• Is art therapy a good tool for fighting mental illness?
• Is listening to music good for pregnant women?
• Should we use video games in education?
• Are movies good tools for education?
• Are scientific clubs in school good for students’ leisure time?
• Are concerts good or bad for us?
• Pros and cons of attending a circus with children
• The role of games in early education

16 Environmental Debate Topics

• Should animals be used for scientific achievements?
• What are the best ways to protect nature and save the environment?
• What causes global climate change, and what can people do about it?
• How might future cities look in 200 years?
• Why should we eliminate all plastic packages?
• Should we ban plastic bags to protect the environment?
• How can we prevent an environmental catastrophe?
• Is solar energy more expensive than other energy sources?
• Should people do more to protect wildlife?
• Is reforestation a reasonable solution to global warming?
• What are the risks, pros, and cons of vegetarianism?
• Should we allow oil drilling in wildlife refuges?
• Are zoos good or not?
• Should countries impose special taxation on international aviation?
• Is a carbon tax an effective way to combat climate change?
• Should we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?

Current Debate Topics in History

• Does history matter?
• How effective was Haig’s British generalship during the war?
• Did King Arthur really exist?
• Did Genghis Khan do more good than harm?
• Did the Soviet Union instigate the Six-Day War?
• What is the historical background of World War Two?
• Should all immigrants pass a historical test, or is it unimportant?
• What was Britain’s role in the First World War?
• Who discovered the effect of gravitation first: Newton or Haitham?
• Was the USA a provocateur for Japan in the war?
• Did South Korean provocations spark the Korean War?
• What are the alternative views of historians on World War Two?
• What were the causes and outcomes of the Revolutionary War?
• How should the international community address North Korea’s nuclear program?
• Is it fair for other countries to impose sanctions on nations violating human rights?
• Should other countries intervene in conflicts to prevent genocide?
• How can other countries collaborate to combat climate change effectively?
• Should there be a global agreement to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in warfare?
• What are the global implications of the Ukraine-Russia war?
• Should other countries provide military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia?

The discussion can help you talk about hot and interesting topics and learn other’s points of view. It can also allow you to overcome stage fright. While performing at such an event,  students learn to think spontaneously and defend their points of view politely.

35 Funny Debate Topics

Not every time you prepare for the debate, you will have to be serious. Sometimes you will get an opportunity to set your creativity free and just enjoy the process as you participate in a debate on funny or interesting debate topics. However, this does not mean you won’t have to prepare. To not lose face, you will still have to choose a topic and prepare arguments, so here are some fun topics to debate on we have prepared for you:

• Art and music as tools for reducing stress in schools
• Are celebrities good role models or not?
• Can vampires get AIDS from sucking blood that is affected?
• Which is better: daydreaming or nightdreaming?
• Homework should be dismissed in elementary school
• Importance of extracurricular activities and clubs in schools
• Should we make cartoons and TV a part of the educational process in elementary school?
• What is the best TV show of all time?
• Should zoos be done away with?
• What is the best pizza topping?
• Can we call superheroes misleading role models?
• Schools shouldn’t track students by academic level
• Public prayers should be banned in schools
• Should social networks be blocked in schools?
• Students should have an opportunity to get an after-school job
• It’s a good idea to allow high school students to leave school during lunch
• Did God create our world, or did it just occur naturally?
• Which of these are more real – pirates or ninjas?
• Should juveniles be treated as adults?
• Should people live together before they marry?
• What are the perks of being a woman?
• What are the perks of being a man?
• The harm and benefits of peer pressure
• Do nursery rhymes have secret interior meanings?
• Fast food shouldn’t be on the school menu
• Phones should be allowed in schools
• Schools should have an option for online attendance
• Do people depend on computers and other gadgets too much?
• Animal dissections have to be prohibited in schools
• Should parents not purchase war or destructive toys for their children?
• Nuclear energy and its impact on our society and environment
• Is human cloning a real thing, and should it be allowed?
• Sex education: should it be started in middle school or later
• How do books influence personality development?
• Is there life after death?

Debating is a useful practice for all people, thanks to the experience and skills it gives you. Preparing for a debate, you gain more knowledge on a specific topic. In addition, you get the possibility to develop your problem-solving and communication skills, which are the most in-demand skills for modern employers. By taking professional help from an assignment writing service , you can refine your debating skills even further and make sure you are well-equipped to tackle any debate.

How to Choose a Debate Topic?

Where does one find some easy debate topics? There are many things to debate, but choosing the right topic that will be interesting for most students is challenging. Here are a few tips on how to make the right choice:

• Think about some topics that interest you – what sort of discussions do you like the most? You can pick something from the curriculum also. This way, you will be able to help other students learn the material they will have on their tests and the topics they may face in the future. It is possible to work with this the way you work with your essay topic ideas .
• Also, remember that your discussion topics must fit the other students’ level – some of them can be unable to handle the topic with too many aspects to consider. Highly complex issues should fit the students with a great standard of reasoning. But most students usually come up with a few arguments, and these arguments rarely relate to the opposing parties’ points. In this situation, the debate can become confusing or embarrassing. Make a list of suitable debate questions.
• Consider your students’ access to research all necessary materials – if other students have to conduct significant research while preparing for the debate, it can’t be a good debate. This is something you have to keep in mind. For example, when you pick a modern art and literature theme with many specific terms and present it to a math class, your debate won’t have good results. Do not forget to prepare your personal speech or buy one from a reliable speech writing service online .
• Do not forget about the time! All students must have enough time to prepare for the debate, so it is reasonable to pick out a topic they are studying now or one they have already studied. This way, they will be able to come up with strong and clever arguments.
• While debating, assume that you are right – in order to succeed, you have to be completely sure of your position and have some strong supporting facts.
• Do not insult the opposition. Be polite in every situation that could happen.

When choosing the best debate topic ideas, we considered several criteria: level of education, type of debate, and subject or sphere of knowledge. We’ve divided the best ideas into categories to make your search simpler.

Types of Debate Topics by Format

Apart from the academic level, you should also consider the type of debate format to choose from and an appropriate topic. When choosing the format, consider the audience and the course objectives. Some formats, such as a persuasive format, will develop a student’s ability to give presentations where they need to convince the audience of an idea. On the other hand, an argumentative topic develops skills in negotiating, and a controversial format gets students accustomed to speaking about ideas that may not be comfortable or popular. Here is a breakdown of the primary three formats:

Persuasive Debate Topics

The main goal of such topics is to persuade the audience. Persuasive debate topics have to cover a problem or subject that people care about, and it also has to be something you are personally interested in and knowledgeable in. If you choose this type, you will have to carefully study the subject you have and prepare a powerful base of arguments and facts to prove the validity of your opinion.

Controversial Debate Topics

The main characteristic of such topics is they are always challenging for a student – controversial debate topics usually cover significant and powerful issues and have lots of space for arguments. Such issues may have two or more absolutely different public opinions. Therefore, they also assume prolonged and intensive public discussion. A good controversial theme arouses different opinions among the people and makes them come up with questions that can’t have one specific answer.

Argumentative Debate Topics

Argumentative debate topics cover specific issues, problems, phenomena, or subjects that you can deliberate on. Selecting such topics, you have to be ready to do in-depth research, study materials, and pick arguments from time-tested and reliable sources to support your ideas.

These three formats are different in nature and purpose. However, regardless of what type you are looking for, to choose a good topic, you have to follow these basic rules:

• It has to be fresh and relevant.
• It has to be something that people and you personally care about.
• It has to be interesting.
• It doesn’t have to be too broad or too narrow.
• It has to have value.
• You have to be able to find enough supporting material on it.

How to Debate Using Pro and Con Arguments?

One of the most important things you should consider when going into a debate is that your opponent from the opposite side of the table, and your audience, will have controversial opinions on your topic. They will have some points against your position, and you must be ready. The best way to be prepared for such situations is to outline both pro and con arguments on your chosen topic. This will help you see the whole picture. After all, providing pro and con arguments on a specific topic is a popular practice in debates, so you should understand how to do it right. For this reason, we have prepared an example of how you can do it with the topic “How social media can make people more or less sociable”:

• Pro: The popularity of social media has helped us meet new people and communicate easier
• Con: With the appearance of social networks, people started to interact less in the real-life
• Pro: Social media helps less sociable people develop their communication skills without discomfort
• Con: Social media takes almost all our free time, making us too busy to connect with each other in the real world

We have already written some essays about social media. You can check it out  here .

Debating helps enhance rigorous critical thinking and higher-order skills. It teaches people to organize and structure their thoughts well. If you participate in debates, you can also develop your research, note-taking, and analytical skills, as well as gain the ability to create balanced, informed arguments and use evidence and reasoning. All the skills mentioned above are vital for every successful student. If you need help developing your debating skills, there are plenty of essay helpers online that you can use. Remember, practicing debating is the best way to gain and improve skills!

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55 Great Debate Topics for Any Project

General Education

A debate is a formal discussion about a topic where two sides present opposing viewpoints. Debates follow a specific structure: each side is given time to speak either for or against the topic at hand.

Many students study debate in high school to improve their speaking skills. As a debater, you learn how to clearly structure and present an argument. The skills you develop as a debater will help you on everything from a college admissions interview to a job presentation.

Selecting debate topics is one of the most important parts of debating. In this article, we’ll explain how to select a good debate topic and give suggestions for debate topics you can use.

How to Select Good Debate Topics

A good debate topic is one that lets the participants and the audience learn about both sides of an issue. Consider the following factors when selecting a debate topic:

Interest: Are you interested in the topic? Would the topic be interesting to your fellow classmates, as well as to the audience listening to the debate? Selecting a topic that you’re interested in makes the preparation part of the debate more exciting , as well as the debate more lively.

Argument Potential: You want to choose a debate topic that has solid argument potential. If one side is clearly right, or if there isn’t a lot of available information, you’ll have a hard time crafting a solid debate.

Availability of Data: Data points make an argument more robust. You’ll want to select a topic with lots of empirical data that you can pull from to bolster your argument.

Now that we know how to select a debate topic, let’s look at a list of good debate topics.

Debate Topics Master List

If you’re searching for your next debate topic, here are some suggestions.

Social and Political Issues Debate Topics

• All people should have the right to own guns.
• The death penalty should be abolished.
• Human cloning should be legalized.
• All drugs should be legalized.
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Juveniles should be tried and treated as adults.
• Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today.
• Violent video games should be banned.
• The minimum wage should be $15 per hour.
• All people should have Universal Basic Income.
• Sex work should be legal.
• Countries should be isolationist.
• Abortion should be banned.
• Every citizen should be mandated to perform national public service.
• Bottled water should be banned.
• Plastic bags should be banned.

Education Debate Topics

• Homework should be banned.
• Public prayer should not be allowed in schools.
• Schools should block sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram on their computers.
• School uniforms should be required.
• Standardized testing should be abolished.
• All students should have an after-school job or internship.
• School should be in session year-round.
• All high school athletes should be drug tested.
• Detention should be abolished.
• All student loan debt should be eliminated.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• All schools should have armed security guards.
• Religion should be taught in schools.
• All schools should be private schools.
• All students should go to boarding schools.
• Sexual education should be mandatory in schools.
• Public college should be tuition free.
• All teachers should get tenure.
• All school districts should offer school vouchers.

Health Debate Topics

• Healthcare should be universal.
• Cosmetic procedures should be covered by health insurance.
• All people should be vegetarians.
• Euthanasia should be banned.
• The drinking age should be 18.
• Vaping should be banned.
• Smoking should be banned in all public places.
• People should be legally required to get vaccines.
• Obesity should be labeled a disease.
• Sexual orientation is determined at birth.
• The sale of human organs should be legalized.
• Birth control should be for sale over the counter.

Technology Debate Topics

• Social media has improved human communication.
• The development of artificial intelligence will help humanity.
• Individuals should own their own DNA.
• Humans should invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets.
• Governments should invest in alternative energy sources.
• Net neutrality should be restored.
• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies should be encouraged or banned.
• Alternative energy can effectively replace fossil fuels.
• Cell phone radiation is dangerous and should be limited.

How to Prepare for a Debate

Once you’ve selected your debate topic, the next step is to prepare for your debate. Follow these steps as you get ready to take the podium.

Read Your Evidence

The most important step to building your debate confidence is to familiarize yourself with the evidence available. You’ll want to select reputable sources and use empirical data effectively.

The more well read on your topic you are, the better you’ll be able to defend your position and anticipate the other side’s arguments.

Anticipate the Other Side’s Arguments

As part of your debate, you’ll need to rebut the other side’s arguments. It’s important to prepare ahead of time to guess what they’ll be talking about. You’ll bolster your own side’s argument if you’re able to effectively dismantle what the other side is saying.

Plan to Fill Your Speech Time

Each speaker at a debate is limited to a certain amount of time. You should plan to use every second of the time that you’re allotted. Make sure you practice your talking points so that you know you’re within the time frame. If you’re short, add in more evidence.

Practice to Build Confidence

It can be scary to take the stage for a debate! Practicing ahead of time will help you build confidence. Remember to speak slowly and clearly. Even if your argument is great, it won’t matter if no one can understand it.

Final Thoughts

Debate is a great way to hone your public speaking skills and get practice crafting and defending an argument. Use these debate topics if you're searching for a focus for your next debate.

What's Next?

Looking for ways to keep the debate going in non-academic life? Then you'll love our list of 101 "this or that" questions to argue over with your friends.

Thinking about how you can use your argumentative skills in a future career? Read up on the five steps to becoming a lawyer to see if that's a path you want to pursue.

Getting ready to take an AP test? Here’s a list of practice tests for every AP exam, including the AP literature exam .

It can be hard to schedule time to study for an AP test on top of your extracurriculars and normal classwork. Check out this article on when you need to start studying for your AP tests to make sure you’re staying on track.

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Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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•    13 Debate Topics for College Students to Try

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13 debate topics for college students to try.

• Chloe Daniel
• Published On: June 15 ,2021

What Is a Debate?

Types of debate topics, persuasive debate topics.

• Who is the best villain in the history of fiction ever?
• What is the one song every person must listen to at least once?
• What is the worst job to do in the history of employment?

Argumentative Debate Topics

• Should convicts be allowed to affect the society via elections?
• Does gap year improve or obstruct a student’s educational prospects?
• Do we need libraries if no one reads paper books anymore?

Controversial Debate Topics

• Separate institutes for female and male students.
• Getting rid of all languages except English in workplaces.
• Consuming fast food and junk food three times a day.

Are Debates Compulsory For College Students?

The basic rules of debates.

• The side in favour is always the first one to speak up. A counter-response from the opposing side then follows. Each member of the negative team takes their turns speaking.
• Each debater is allotted a maximum of one minute to present their opinion. Once the time is finished, the speaker has to wrap it up or the speech can be halted.
• Interrupting a debater is strictly prohibited.
• The audience, who mostly acts as the jury, cannot take part in the debate.
• The voting or verdict from the audience is usually decided with a show of hands and the majority takes the win.

The Best Debate Topics for College Students

1. renewable energy should replace fossil fuels, 2. free speech is non-negotiable, 3. sexual education should be mandatory, 4. death penalty should not be acceptable in the modern world, 5. social media brings more harm than good, 6. there is no justification for the war on terror, 7. public colleges should offer free tuition, 8. there is a need to restore internet neutrality, 9. euthanasia should be permitted, 10. plastic should be banned, 11. the universal basic income should be everyone’s right, 12. all animal testing should be banned, standardized tests should be abolished, advantages of incorporating debates in classes.

• Debates help cultivate students’ comprehension of rational arguments, encourage them to expound their viewpoint, and exploit rhetorical eloquence. Debates enable them to keep their wits under pressure.
• They let students take part and engross in interest-based learning activities. This enhances their capability to retain important information. After all, their brains get engaged more thoroughly during debates because they immerse themselves into complex topics and uphold their stance.
• Debates teach college students the power of working and collaborating together as a team. A debate team often works together to do research and formulate blueprints that would help them win. Knowing that they have each other’s back boosts their morale and ends up forming a special bond as they work together.
• Students’ analytical and problem-solving skills are honed. They are also able to work on their ability to structure and organize in order to present their argument in the best possible way.
• Most importantly, college students also learn how to come up with informed arguments and use supporting evidence and reasoning to boost their standpoint.

How do you Prepare for a Debate?

Read the evidence, anticipate the opposing side’s arguments, plan to fill your speech time, practice to build confidence, how do you choose good debate topics.

• Interest – Go for a topic you like. Plus, it should be according to your audience’s level of intellect. Because that will make your writing process more fun.
• Argument Potential – Choose a debate topic with a strong argument potential for both the in favour and the against sides. If there is not sufficient data for one of the sides then it will be tough to come up with solid debate arguments.
• Availability of Data – Valid data helps draft a solid and credible thesis. So, go for a popular debate topic with loads of empirical data.

Final Thoughts

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• Instructional Guide

Classroom Debates

Using debates in the classroom provide students the opportunity to work in a collaborative and cooperative group setting. By having students discuss and organize their points of view for one side of an argument they are able to discover new information and put knowledge into action. Classroom debates help students learn through friendly competition, examine controversial topics and “strengthen skills in the areas of leadership, interpersonal influence, teambuilding, group problem solving, and oral presentation” (Leuser, n.d., para. 1).

By having students discuss and organize their points of view for one side of an argument they are able to discover new information and put knowledge into action.

Debates can be used in all disciplines on a wide range of topics. Here are some examples of subject matter topics for debate which can easily be adapted for a variety of subject areas.

• Arts - There should no restrictions upon artistic expression
• Business - Corporations should be abolished
• Education - Intelligence testing is without value
• Engineering - Only bridges over waterways need to be routinely inspected
• Sociology - It is morally okay to break laws you don't agree with
• English - Language is not a skill
• Geology - Mountain top mining is good for the economy
• Health - There is nothing morally wrong with doing drugs
• Mathematics - Elementary school mathematics should be confined largely to arithmetic
• Science - The theory of evolution is based on both science and faith

Debate Format

Teams work well for classroom debates but two students can be paired as well. Adapt the following format to fit your specific goals and objectives. Adding a third, shorter round will allow teams to further defend their arguments.

Alternatively, have all students prepare both a pro and con position for a designated class session. During this class period two teams are randomly selected who will then state their arguments. The other students will contribute differing remarks and suggestions for a more active and well-prepared class discussion.

. . . two teams are randomly selected who will then state their arguments.

• Team One - 10 Minutes - Presentation of "Pro/positive" or "Arguments for" 
• Team Two - 10 Minutes - Presentation of "Con/negative" or "Arguments against"

Team Discussion Period

5 Minutes This period is used for teams to prepare their responses

• Team One - 5 Minutes - Response or rebuttal of "Pro/positive" or "Arguments for" 
• Team Two - 5 Minutes - Response or rebuttal of "Con/negative" or "Arguments against" 

Whole Class Discussion          

To determine which team provided the most convincing arguments. A vote can be taken or a more detailed evaluation form can be used to assess each team. (10-15 minutes)

Note: Explain to the students that the success behind using debates in the classroom is not in winning and losing but rather how well teams prepared for and delivered their arguments and get potential buy-in from those who help the opposite point-of view.

. . . the success behind using debates in the classroom is not in winning and losing but rather how well team prepared for and delivered their arguments . . .

• Include a time frame in which they have to prepare for the debate and how they are to present their material.
• Allow non-debate students to be adjudicators to help them learn how to be objective in rating their peers’ performance.
• Determine if non-debating students will be allowed to vote.
• Provide resources which will help students learn about debates and their structure.
• Consider holding a practice debate to help students understand the process.
• Select the format you plan to use: teams, individual students, all students (see format above).Consider having students prepare brief “position papers” which also includes their reaction to the debate process and how they were able to reach consensus in their team’s arguments.
• Research controversial, news-breaking and stimulating topics to encourage dynamic and energized classroom discussion. Students are more likely to be authentic when they debate a subject to which they can relate.
• Review the debate process previously established and ask for questions and clarifications on the day of the debate.

Students are more likely to be authentic when they debate a subject to which they can relate.

• Prepare rating rubrics and distribute to adjudicators before the debate begins.
• Begin the debate, giving students as much autonomy as possible.
• Distribute both student and instructor evaluations to the teams.Facilitate classroom discussion and debrief the process at the end of the debate.
• Have a plan in place if the debate gets “hot” and students argue instead of debate. Review guidelines before the debate begins to minimize inappropriate discussion and behavior. Also, getting to know your students through observation and actively listening to their classroom conversations can provide helpful information when selecting topics for debate.

Have a plan in place if the debate gets “hot” and students argue instead of debate.

Using debates in the classroom provides students the opportunity to explore real-world topics and issues. Debates also engage students through self reflection and encourage them to learn from their peers. Finally, debates prepare students to be more comfortable engaging in dialogue related to their beliefs as well as their areas of study.

Leuser, D. (n.d.). Classroom debates. https://oz.plymouth.edu/~davidl/bu342/Debates.DOC

Selected Resources

Classroom debates: A one page tutorial. (n.d.). http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/debates/tutorial.pdf

University of California - Berkley. (1983). Using classroom debates. http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/suggestions/file181.html

Suggested citation

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2012). Classroom debates. In Instructional guide for university faculty and teaching assistants. Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

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Lesson Plan

Sept. 9, 2024, 8 a.m.

Lesson plan: Hosting a presidential debate

History, U.S. Government, Civics

Estimated Time

Three 50-minute class periods

Grade Level

To analyze campaign issues and to practice formal debate procedures and elements of logic. Extension activities address the history of presidential election debates and the importance of rhetoric and word choice in debates.

The class learns, studies and replicates logical fallacies and techniques of persuasion. Examples are drawn from actual debate statements by John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. Students then watch the satirical We The Voters film, which presents two Senators discussing global warming and committing constant logical errors, pausing to discuss each logical fallacy.

Students then hold a debate of their own, focusing on a major issue that emerges from an actual 2020 Biden-Trump presidential debate. Eight students on two debate teams compose arguments and practice debating. On debate day, the class members choose the winning team and try to catch debaters in logic errors.

2024 Scheduled Election Debates

September 10 in Philadelphia (ABC)

October 1 (Vice Presidential debate) in New York City (CBS)

• We The Voters satirical film
• Handout #1: Techniques of Persuasion and Logical Fallacies
• Handout #2: Debate Watch Notes
• Handout #3: Debate Ballot
• Handout #4: Debate Arguments Template
• Handout #5: History of the Presidential Debates
• Handout #6: A Note on Fact Checking (Extension Activity)
• Handout #7: Words Count (Extension Activity)
• Stopwatch/timer
• Paper or ribbon debate winner badges (optional)

Day One: Logical Fallacies Study and We the Voters Film

Distribute Handout #1: Techniques of Persuasion and Logical Fallacies . Students may work singly or in pairs to complete their own examples of the logical fallacies, and to explain the four examples of fallacies used by Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Romney. Review answers in whole class discussion.

Play the tongue-in-cheek We The Voters film which shows two Senators using most of the fallacies that students have just learned during a debate on global warming. Instruct students to identify the logical fallacies as they watch, and then play the film a second time, pausing to allow students to identify each fallacy.

We the Voters on Vimeo.

Homework, Day One:

Instruct students to watch the presidential debate that evening, and to record their own analysis on Handout #2: Debate Watch Notes . As they watch, students should note any examples of fallacies in the candidates’ responses. Remind students that the emerging issues may surprise them. For example, in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate, no one could have predicted that a whole presidential debate would center on Quemoy and Matsu, two small islands near Taiwan.

Day Two: Preparing the Classroom Debate

Distribute Handout #3: Debate Ballot . In discussion with the whole class, and referring to the debate issues of the night before, select a debate resolution. Remember that the resolution must always be written in the positive format, i.e. “The United States should strengthen international treaties with Iran,” not “A war with Iran would be a mistake.”

Choose eight students in each class for each of the two debate teams. Each team selects its own debate slots, based on the roles defined in Handout #3: Debate Ballot .

[Note for teacher guidance to the teams: Students who are nervous about or fear public speaking or debating could be encouraged to choose Opening Statement, which can be prepared beforehand and simply read. Students more comfortable with debating can do the Rebuttal Argument. Students most confident of their ability to think quickly on their feet could be encouraged to choose Question Session. The most eloquent speakers could be encouraged to choose the Summary slots. A good comparison for explaining why the debate is sequenced between two teams is the order of games in a sports championship series.]

The eight debating students will then work outside the classroom and for homework, if necessary on the phone at night, to prepare their arguments, using Handout #4: Debate Arguments template.

While debate teams are working, review Handout #5: History of the Presidential Debates with the rest of the class. Have students read the presidential debate summaries dating back to the 1960 election and discuss the following questions as a class: You may want to go to YouTube after you have read through the summaries to watch the debates.

• What debate would you like to have been present for? Why?
• How could some of the highlights from these debates have swayed the electorate? Would you have been swayed in the same way?
• How might televising the debates have influenced who had the stronger performance?
• Does the electorate deserve to see how the candidates will do under the stress of a nationally televised debate? Explain.

Click here for a News Hour archive of every debate.

Day Three: Classroom Debate

Hold the debate in class. While you give the debaters five final minutes for review before starting the debate, hand out fresh copies of Handout #3: Debate Ballot , which are used as the students’ ballots. Emphasize the rules at the bottom about objectivity, as well as the observers’ extra credit opportunity.

Time each portion of the debate carefully, using a timer or stopwatch. The debate itself takes 30 minutes. Allow only five minutes for students to mark their ballots and to fill out the extra credit portion, if they wish to do so.

Collect the ballots. Tally the ballots on the board, reading an occasional “This team won the debate because…” if there is time. Excitement is high at this point; be sure you’ve finished the tally before the bell rings!

Consider awarding the winning debaters their “Debate Champion” blue ribbons (real or paper). Grade the debate ballots, using any number of points and extra credit you wish to use.

Extension activities

• Handout #6: A Note on Fact Checking reviews three principal fact checking sites, as well as two fact-checks of remarks made at the 2016 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and includes discussion questions.
• Handout #7: Words Count deals with the use of rhetoric, and key quotes from past presidential and vice-presidential debates.

Syd Golston is a past president of the National Council for the Social Studies. She has served as a history teacher, school administrator, and curriculum writer for many decades. She is the author of Changing Woman of the Apache, Death Penalty, Studies in Arizona History, and other publications and articles.

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It's Up for Debate

Debates are a staple of middle and high school social studies classes. But have you ever thought about using debates at the lower grades -- or in math class? Education World offers five debate strategies and extra lessons for students of all ages. Included: Debate fairy tale ethics, use four corner and inner/outer circle strategies, more.

• Wearing a helmet when riding a bike should be mandatory.
• The President of the United States is doing a good job.
• The Pledge of Allegiance should be recited in school each day.
• Beauty is only skin deep.
• Kids should be able to have TVs in their bedrooms.

All you need to have a great classroom debate is an interesting topic -- such as the ones above -- to engage students ...

Well, perhaps that point could be debated -- but theres no debating the fact that this weeks Lesson Planning article provides all the resources you need for great classroom debates. Aside from high-interest debate topics, this Education World resource provides sample debate formats, a few rules for kids to remember, a bunch of fun strategies, and a handful of great lesson ideas!

Using debates in the classroom can help students grasp many essential critical thinking and presentation skills. Among the skills classroom debates can foster are: * abstract thinking * analytical thinking * citizenship/ethics/etiquette * clarity * cross-examination/questioning * point of view * distinguishing fact from opinion * identifying bias * language usage * organization * personal vs. political values * persuasion * public speaking * research * teamwork/cooperation * many more!   DEBATE STRATEGY LESSON PLANS This week, Education World provides five lessons that are sure to make the most of your next classroom debate. Click each of the five lesson headlines below for a complete teaching resource. (Appropriate grade levels for each lesson appear in parentheses.) Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers (Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format) Adapt the standard debate format plus ten strategies for engaging students in debate! (Grades 3-12) Role Play Debate Students assume the roles of various stakeholders in debates on issues of high interest. (Grades 3-12) Using Fairy Tales to Debate Ethics Three fairy tales challenge students to think about honesty, right and wrong, and other questions of ethics. (Grades K-8) Four Corners Debate A debate strategy gets kids thinking and moving. Debate topics included for all grades. (Grades K-12) Inner Circle, Outer Circle Debate Strategy The inner/outer circle debate strategy emphasizes listening to others views and writing an opinion essay. (Grades 3-12) EW Lesson Plans EW Professional Development Ew worksheets. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and receive top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more! No thanks, I don't need to stay current on what works in education! COPYRIGHT 1996-2016 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2024 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SchoolNotes.com The Educator's Network SI SWIMSUIT SI SPORTSBOOK Did Marcel Reed Close Door on Texas A&M QB Debate? Zach dimmitt | 4 hours ago. Texas A&M Aggies The Texas A&M Aggies entered Saturday's SEC opener against the Florida Gators with some major questions surrounding their quarterback room after Conner Weigman popped up on the injury report late in the week. With Weigman not at 100 percent due to an injury in his throwing shoulder, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko elected to start Marcel Reed. And after his impressive performance, the Aggies shouldn't look back after making a decision that might have provided the spark they needed to jump-start their season. Reed showed off his dual-threat ability and arm strength, leading A&M to a 33-20 win on the road after a lightning delay sent both teams to the locker room at the end of the first quarter. Reed clearly stayed warm during the delay, as he finished 11 of 17 passing for 178 yards, two touchdowns and no picks while rushing 13 times for 83 yards and a score. After the game, Elko failed to commit to Reed as the long-term starter. If he puts together another big performance against Bowling Green next week, the coaching staff should have little hesitation to make Reed the QB1 until further notice, regardless of Weigman's health. “Marcel won the backup job," Elko said. "We think (Jaylen) Henderson is a good QB. We prepare QBs. It’s not like we have been preparing only one QB. Marcel has been getting a ton of reps.” Weigman's injury occurred during the loss to Notre Dame, which likely contributed to his poor performance in the season opener. However, even when healthy, it's clear that Reed brings an electricity to the offense that Weigman lacks. Whether it's deep passes down the field or impromptu plays with his legs, the Aggies are better off with Reed handling the reins. Does he still have tons to prove? Of course. Just like every quarterback, he'll have his fair share of mistakes as the season goes on. He also had the luxury of playing with a lead on Saturday against Florida, which allowed the Aggies to commit to the ground game and get a big day from Le'Veon Moss. When the Aggies have to transition to a more pass-happy game script down the line, it's unclear how Reed will perform. But worrying about what will or won't happen is irrelevant. It's about what did happen on Saturday. If the A&M coaching staff wants to do what's best for the sake of the team this season, they'll continue to ride this wave and make Reed the conductor of the offense until the train falls off the tracks. ZACH DIMMITT Fact-Checking Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Snopes' fact-checkers analyzed the candidates' statements for accuracy in real time., snopes staff, published sept. 10, 2024. This page is no longer receiving updates. If you heard a claim worthy of fact-checking during Tuesday's debate, send it our way . We'll do our best to look into it. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced each other for their first (and possibly only) debate of the 2024 presidential campaign season. ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated the event, which was broadcast by the network. Snopes' fact-checkers analyzed the candidates' statements for accuracy in real time below, recycling reporting from its archives. On Sept. 7, 2019, Trump posted on X that Taliban leaders were going to "secretly meet" with him at Camp David on Sept. 8, just three days before the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The posts said the meeting was canceled. It's true that Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, codifying measures that capped the cost of insulin for seniors on Medicare at $35 per month starting in January 2023. As a result, many drugmakers — including Eli Lilly, the largest manufacturer of insulin in the U.S. — lowered their prices accordingly. Trump's stated views on global warming have changed over the years. Like Trump claimed Tuesday, the NRA has accused Harris of " gun confiscation ," calling her an "existential threat to the Second Amendment." Although Harris did once support assault weapons buybacks , the Harris campaign confirmed with The New York Times in July she supported banning assault weapons but did not support any buyback program requiring their sale to the federal government.  She intends to reinstate a 1994 assault weapons ban that made it unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon. The 10-year ban lapsed in 2004. The context of the remark suggests Trump was predicting an "economic bloodbath" for the country, not a literal one, if he loses the 2024 presidential election. This alleged quote stems from a December 2023 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. The Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly pointed to a 2017 comment by Trump related to violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a Confederate statue. Trump claimed, "I had nothing to do [with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack]." In the hours before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Trump gathered supporters in a park near the White House for a roughly 70-minute speech that continued his months-long campaign to stir doubt in America's electoral process and convince people to reject Biden's victory. That speech in Ellipse Park has been heavily scrutinized by members of Congress, federal prosecutors, state officials — and so on. Snopes has fact-checked these related claims: Did Trump tell supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 ? Did Dems' video omit Trump's telling supporters to 'peacefully and patriotically' protest at Capitol ? Did Trump tweet 'stay peaceful' on day of Capitol riot? Trump said, "She went out in Minnesota and wanted to let criminals that killed people, that burned down Minneapolis." Critics of Harris have long pushed the claim that, during protests over the police murder of George Floyd in 2020, she donated money to a Minnesota nonprofit that helped protesters who were arrested get out jail and break more laws. It's true that she expressed support for a nonprofit called the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which pays criminal bail and immigration bonds, and encouraged her supporters to donate to it during the protests. But she did not donate money to the nonprofit before, after, or during the protests, according to its records. Trump claimed, "Crime here is up and through the roof." This has been a repeated assertion by the Trump campaign: that U.S. crime rates are rising, not falling.  Meanwhile, Biden and members of his administration have claimed that violent crime rate in the United States was at a 50-year low . Trump said, " In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… They’re eating the pets of the people that live there." In reality, there's no evidence to support that claim — which, as The Associated Press describes , is being used by the Trump campaign "to argue immigrants are committing crimes at a higher rate than others." As reported by the Springfield News-Sun, the claim that a Haitian immigrant ate a pet cat stems from a rumor posted to a Springfield Facebook group. According to that outlet, the Springfield Police Department had not received any reports related either to the killing of a cat or the butchering of ducks and geese. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said claims that geese or ducks from parks were being killed and eaten in the town were unsubstantiated. Trump claimed, "She's a Marxist — everybody knows she's a Marxist. Her father's a Marxist professor in economics, and he taught her well." He was referring to Donald J. Harris, who is indeed a professor of economics at Stanford University. Harris said, "What you’re going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again." Trump responded, "I have nothing to do with Project 2025." Project 2025 centers on a roughly 1,000-page document  that gives the executive branch more power, reverses Biden-era policies and specifies numerous department-level changes. Some of the Trump campaign's goals and proposals within Project 2025 overlap. However, the former president has attempted to distance himself from the initiative. In a July 5, 2024, post on Truth Social , he wrote: " I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them." He echoed that sentiment Tuesday night. In other words, it's unknown if, or to what extent, Trump's campaign is talking to leaders of the initiative. Many political analysts and the Biden administration believe Project 2025 is a good indication of Trump's vision for a second term. Harris claimed, "Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression." During the Trump administration, the U.S. experienced job growth every month from his inauguration in January 2017 through February 2020. Then, beginning in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became a major reality in the U.S. and around the world. In the months that followed, millions of Americans lost their jobs, causing a massive dip in job growth and skyrocketing unemployment. The Snopes newsroom is expecting the candidates to repeat talking points from their rallies and speeches — claims about jobs, inflation, abortion rights and immigration, specifically. If the June presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden is any precursor, the two candidates are likely to paint starkly different pictures of the U.S. economy. Democrats want voters to see them as the saving force from economic turmoil during COVID-19 lockdowns, while Trump is attempting to convince voters that the Biden-Harris administration is responsible for high prices at the grocery store and gas station. Both of those claims deserve extra context. Snopes has fact-checked these related items: Was inflation really 9% when Biden became president? ( False ) U.S. economy added 15 million jobs during Biden administration? ( Mixture ) Democratic presidents created 50 million out of 51 million jobs since 1989? ( True ) During Trump's presidency, U.S. job growth was worst since Hoover and the Great Depression? ( True ) As of June 2024, core inflation was at its lowest since April 2021? ( True ) Political pundits are preparing for Trump to attack Harris for her record on immigration as vice president, claiming she failed to secure the U.S.-Mexico border after Biden put her in charge of the migrant crisis there. ( As of January , more than 7.2 million migrants had illegally crossed into the U.S. during Biden's administration — a number higher than the individual populations of 36 states.) As Forbes reported , Harris was never tasked with managing border security in the U.S., which is under the purview of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Rather, Biden tapped Harris in March 2021 to curb migration from the "Northern Triangle" countries — Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — and address the root cases for why residents there immigrate to the U.S. Forbes continued: Immigration levels from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador have gone down in the years since Harris’ assignment began, with data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showing encounters with migrants from those three countries have dropped from approximately 700,000 in 2021 to 500,000 in 2023—while encounters with migrants from other countries outside Harris’ purview, like Colombia, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela have gone up. Harris mentions Trump's position on abortion in every campaign speech, according to The Associated Press , reminding voters that he has bragged that his three Supreme Court nominees were key in overturning Roe v. Wade . (On multiple occasions, the Republican candidate himself has taken credit for the SCOTUS decision, saying things like, "For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it. And I'm proud to have done it.") Harris is also likely to tie Trump to Project 2025 , a conservative policy proposal for a future Republican U.S. presidential administration. During his presidential campaign, the former president has attempted to publicly distance himself from Project 2025 It's unknown if, or to what extent, his campaign is coordinating with its leaders — The Heritage Foundation. Snopes has covered these rumors related to that conservative think tank or Project 2025 recently: Video shows Trump shaking hands with head of group behind Project 2025? ( True ) Video from 2022 shows Trump praising Project 2025's 'colossal mandate' at Heritage Foundation event? ( True ) Project 2025 calls for replacing 40-hour workweek with 160-hour work month? ( Mostly True ) Project 2025 wants all public high school students to take military entrance exam? ( True ) Project 2025 calls to shut down the U.S. Department of Education? ( True ) Project 2025 calls for eliminating the National Weather Service? ( Mixture ) You can challenge the Heritage Foundation's tax-exempt status with a specific form? ( Not quite ) Coors, Walmart and ExxonMobil contributed money to Project 2025's Heritage Foundation? ( True ) By Snopes Staff Article tags. Find anything you save across the site in your account Live Updates: The First 2024 Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Thanks for joining The New Yorker for its live coverage of the first—and likely only—Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. To receive full coverage of the 2024 campaign between now and Election Day, sign up for our daily newsletter . Susan B. Glasser If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Donald Trump by now, nine years into his career in public life, it’s that his ego invariably gets in the way of what others might consider political good sense. Before the start of his first and likely only debate with Vice-President Kamala Harris, the former President posted a video clip on his social-media feed, along with a quote from an admirer: “Donald Trump is probably the greatest political debater we’ve ever had in American History.” So much for expectations-setting. Read more. Tyler Foggatt Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris The most famous childless cat lady in the world has spoken. Minutes after Donald Trump and Kamala Harris left the debate stage, while we were all still processing the news that Trump is a “leader on fertilization” and that Harris apparently owns a gun, Taylor Swift posted to her two hundred and eighty-three million followers on Instagram. “Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” she wrote. “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” What was it that finally moved Swift to endorse? Was it Trump’s comments, during the debate, about migrants eating pets? (“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”) Was it the online vitriol that Swift has received, over the past few days, for warmly embracing Brittany Mahomes, a presumed Trump supporter, at the U.S. Open? According to Swift, she felt she needed to speak out after Trump falsely implied that she had endorsed him, posting A.I. generated images of young women wearing “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts and a depiction of Swift herself dressed up as Uncle Sam, with the slogan “Taylor Wants You to Vote for Donald Trump.” As Swift wrote on Instagram, “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.” Even though Trump has said positive things about Swift in the past, having described her as “very talented” and “unusually beautiful,” his campaign has already tried to dismiss Swift’s endorsement of Harris, with Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt telling the Times that it’s “more evidence that the Democrat party has become the party of the wealthy elite.” It’s an argument that we’ve heard from Trump before, particularly in the 2016 Presidential election, as celebrities lined up behind Hillary Clinton. In that election, Trump so successfully weaponized his opponent’s celebrity endorsements that Swift decided to stay silent. As she told Vogue , “Would I be an endorsement or would I be a liability?” Swift has figured out the answer to that question. In 2020, she endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket, and her endorsement of Harris in 2024 comes at a time when Swift has never been more popular, powerful, and ever-present. We’ll all be watching the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday. Instagram content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Benjamin Wallace-Wells Agreed. I do wonder if Harris will feel that she did enough to make her case on the economy, probably her weakest issue—when she framed her closing statement around an “opportunity economy,” it stuck out a bit in how little we’d heard of that all along. But, look, she baited Trump into incoherence, she emphasized his radicalism, and she just about avoided being effectively called a flip-flopper. The commentators all said this debate was going to be primarily about Harris, that voters have long ago made up their minds about Trump. Well, she won it. Vinson Cunningham As far as I can tell, Harris did more of the work she showed up tonight to do. She seemed in control all night, hitting her marks as she went. More than enough against a guy who doubled down on many of the neuroses that he’s turned into his greatest hits. This qualifies as a narrow win for Harris, I think: she certainly didn’t lose any voters and, in places like the Philly and Atlanta suburbs, may have picked one or two up. Trump’s final words—a dark delusion about marauding immigrants—could have been from his speeches nine years ago. He has not changed. At its core, Harris’s pitch tonight boiled down to this: “I think the American people want better than that, want better than this .” That’s a proposition, perhaps an article of faith, and she applies it to a broad list of issues such as abortion rights, treatment of veterans, decency in public life, and on and on. “They’ve had three and a half years” is one of Trump’s strongest points, and really gets to the big theme of this election. Who, here, is really the incumbent? Each contestant is trying to saddle the other with that designation, while also, here and there, taking credit for whatever glimmers of good they’d like to claim. Clare Malone The closing statements get to the broad-strokes messages of the campaigns: Harris says, “Don’t go back,” whereas Trump correctly points out that she’s not necessarily a change candidate, given that she’s part of the current Administration. The story of this debate might be Trump missing some opportunities. I agree, Clare. I’d also say, that’s a failure of Trump’s. The economy and inflation are probably his best issues. Maybe I’m wrong, but has anyone brought up cost of living or inflation in a substantial way? Or, like, housing costs? These feel like concrete issues that voters want to hear about. We talked about tariffs at the top of the debate, but I feel like the economy perhaps should have been brought up more. . . . “But another thing: she won’t improve private insurance”—Trump suddenly remembers a talking point from his briefings. “Concepts of a Plan” sounds like a hellscape version of my favorite Donny Hathaway album, “Extension of a Man.” Honestly, health care should be a big layup for Harris and the Democrats, but, having achieved the A.C.A., they seem to have dropped the issue almost entirely as the center of a moral and practical appeal to everyday voters, with the always pronounced exception of one Bernie Sanders. Trump conceding that he doesn’t have a plan by saying, “I have concepts of a plan,” deserves high potential for meme value. Kamala Harris just said she’s a gun owner. News to anyone else? In going for an aspirational note, about optimism and what people in this country want, Harris sounded like a candidate from a pre-2016 era. Which is a good thing. She may be seeing those polls about her losing support among Black men, and feel that she needs to make a more specific appeal to them. Harris has mostly avoided making race-specific appeals—as you say, Clare, she’s let that pitch fly by plenty of times over in the past few weeks. So it’s interesting to see her here, on the one hand, mention the Central Park Five and the birther lie and, on the other hand, label the issue of race as a big distraction from more concrete issues. It’s a bit of a dance. This section is a reminder of how totally the Democratic Party has accepted the role of embodying both sides of what used to be a bipartisan foreign-policy consensus. They’re both the “strength through peace” hawks and the Samantha Power-style humanitarian interventionists. Depending on how you think our international policy proceeded from, say, 2000 to 2016, that might feel like a lot of baggage—too much—to carry. This is one of Harris’s weakest arguments of the night. Trump answers her charge that he shouldn’t have negotiated with the Taliban by talking about snipers picking off U.S. troops, eighteen months with no one killed. . . . Not so many points to Trump in this debate, but this is one. Afghanistan is a real sore point for the Biden Administration for obvious reasons—the troop pullout was a tragic, chaotic, embarrassing episode. Trump’s campaign has really seized on that in the past two weeks or so. The whole dustup at Arlington National Cemetery—the Trump campaign filming the former President with grieving military families—was part of the campaign’s effort to highlight a big failure of the current Administration. 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A drone attack overnight on Sept. 7 caused a fire and explosions at an unnamed facility in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, regional Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported. According to local Telegram channels, an ammunition depot exploded near the village of Soldatskoye, resulting in a powerful blaze. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's military infrastructure and oil industry . Russian air defense and electronic warfare units intercepted a drone attack in the region's Ostrogozhsky district, Gusev claimed. Fragments from the falling drone caused a fire, which spread to "explosive objects" and led to detonations. Residents of several settlements are being temporarily evacuated, Gusev said. He urged residents not to approach the site of the fire or share images of its location. No casualties have been reported. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gusev's claims at the time of publication. Gusev on Aug. 24 reported a similar attack in the Ostrogozhsky district, also resulting in fires and explosions. Russian Telegram channels later said that the drones struck an ammunition depot in Ostrogozhsk. Ukrainian forces have previously targeted military airfields , oil refineries , and ammunition depots in Voronezh Oblast. Read also: Russia claims 158 drones downed in mass attack targeting refinery, power plants in Moscow, other regions We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent . 428 IMAGES Debate Assignment Debate Assignments Bundle by Curt's Journey 1010 Debate template Debate Assignment Sheet Fall 2018 rev Debate Assignment 4 Assignment 6 debate VIDEO How To Write Assignment || College Assignment AI will ultimately causes do more harmthan good Assignment made easy [assignment,college,chatgpt,writor]#ai #college #assignment #collegestudent the debater final 2401201212 Judge’s Order Criticized: The Debate Over Gender Assignment and Prison Safety FINAL ASSIGNMENT SPEAKING FOR DEBATE MACHIATTO TEAM COMMENTS Classroom Debate Classroom Debate. In its ideal form, debate is a tried-and-true way to get students engaging more purposefully with their readings. Not only does it allow them to see multiple perspectives on an issue, it allows them to hear those perspectives as inhabited by their peers, and encourages them to listen more intently to each other before responding. Debate Assignment 4 Debate Assignment. Objective: One of the best skills in communications is to be able to effectively argue and support your point in a meaningful way. Sometimes it is difficult to have a conversation with someone who has differing views, but it is important to listen to each other and to be able to have productive conversation while utilizing facts and opinions. PDF Creating a Class Debate Assignment Why Debate? Class Debate Assignment Objectives: 1. To develop knowledge of the main points of each team's theoretical perspective. 2. To identify, compare, and contrast (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) each team's theoretical perspective. 3. To consider the value of the evidence supporting each theory/perspective. PDF Want to Facilitate a Debate in Your Class In a classroom debate, a proposition is stated and students make arguments for or against it. Students must research and prepare arguments to participate in the debate effectively, they are required to think on their feet to respond to the opposing side's counterarguments, and they benefit from hearing a range of perspectives on an issue. 3 Ways to Write a Debate Outline Debates are a common assignment in high school and college classes where 2 individuals or teams present opposing arguments about a particular issue or question. Although you may feel like you debate people all the time, writing a debate outline requires a bit more research and organization than simply arguing with someone. Interesting Debate Topics for College Students in 2024: Education Interesting college debate topics make for great student debates. Without a topic that gets each debater fired up, there will not be an interesting back-and-forth conversation filled with statements and facts. However, finding the right topics for debate can be challenging. You must retain a balance between your debate team's interests and ... PDF Classroom Debate Rubric Total Criteria 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 Classroom Debate Rubric Criteria 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Total Points Respect for Other Team All statements, body language, and responses were respectful and were inappropriate language Statements and responses were respectful and used appropriate language, but once or twice body language was not Most statements and College Debates and Discourse Our partnerships with college faculty are expanding, as more instructors and professors connect with us to incorporate Braver Angels debates into their curricula and lesson plans. Quick resources for faculty: • Our Curricular Toolkit is available for faculty who want to work with us to implement an engaging classroom debate assignment for ... Teaching Argument Through Debate 1. Make sure the students are well-prepared before they begin. They need ample time to examine and interpret the texts, both individually and as a group, for the debate to remain substantive and complex. 2. Divide the groups evenly among quiet and outgoing people. Often quiet students are very strong in the pre-debate discussion, even if they ... 200+ Debate Topics for College Students [2024] 3 List of Debate Topics by Field of Knowledge. 3.1 Best Education Debate Topics in 2024. 3.2 Best Science and Technology Debate Topics. 3.3 Debate Topics on Health and Medicine. 3.4 18 Psychology, Sociology, and Ethic Topics. 3.5 Debate Topics about Policy and Finance. 3.6 15 Leisure (Music, Games, Etc.) Topics. 3.7 16 Environmental Debate Topics. 55 Great Debate Topics for Any Project Social and Political Issues Debate Topics. All people should have the right to own guns. The death penalty should be abolished. Human cloning should be legalized. All drugs should be legalized. Animal testing should be banned. Juveniles should be tried and treated as adults. Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today. 13 Debate Topics for College Students to Try The Best Debate Topics for College Students. We have compiled some of the best debate topics for college students to try: 1. Renewable Energy Should Replace Fossil Fuels. Climate change is a universal problem. Environmentalists often say that we need to use renewable energy to curb CO2 emissions considerably. Speaking and Listening: Formal Debate Assignment Flashcards Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Complete the paragraph by choosing the correct word from each drop-down menu. In a formal debate, the ____ provides the resolution. The _______ argues in favor of the resolution, and the ______ argues against the resolution. The debate begins with the _______ providing a claim and evidence. Later, each side has an opportunity to ... Classroom Debates Classroom debates help students learn through friendly competition, examine controversial topics and "strengthen skills in the areas of leadership, interpersonal influence, teambuilding, group problem solving, and oral presentation" (Leuser, n.d., para. 1). By having students discuss and organize their points of view for one side of an ... Lesson plan: Hosting a presidential debate Day Two: Preparing the Classroom Debate. Distribute Handout #3: Debate Ballot. In discussion with the whole class, and referring to the debate issues of the night before, select a debate ... Debate Assignment (9) DEBATE ASSIGNMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT. This assignment requires research, imagination, and logic in applying the content of this course and the readings. The topic of the debate will be presented in class. There is also a video of an actual debate on the same topic in the libguide. ... Clarity of writing mechanics, college level writing (2) ... It's Up for Debate Included: Debate fairy tale ethics, use four corner and inner/outer circle strategies, more. ... Time Management The student: tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner. uses class time wisely. arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day. is well-prepared for class each day. works at an appropriate pace ... The Assignment with Audie Cornish Since we're taking The Assignment on the road, we want to know what you want us to cover. Call and leave us your assignments. The number is (202) 854-8802. The Assignment is a production of CNN Audio. CNN Flash Poll: Majority of debate watchers say Harris outperformed Registered voters who watched Tuesday's presidential debate broadly agree that Kamala Harris outperformed Donald Trump, according to a CNN poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS. The vice ... Did Marcel Reed Close Door on Texas A&M QB Debate? Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs with the ball against the Florida Gators during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Fact-Checking Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Immigration levels from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador have gone down in the years since Harris' assignment began, with data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showing ... Live Updates: The First 2024 Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump Thanks for joining The New Yorker for its live coverage of the first—and likely only—Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. To receive full coverage of the 2024 campaign ... State of emergency declared in part of Russia's Voronezh Oblast ... A state of emergency has been declared in the Ostrogozhsk district of Russia's Voronezh Oblast, where a fire broke out near facilities at risk for explosions, leading to detonation overnight. Fire and explosions reported in Russia's Voronezh Oblast after ... A fire and the detonation of explosive devices have occurred due to a drone strike in the Ostrogozhsk district of Russia's Voronezh Oblast. Local authorities have been evacuating residents of one ... Drones strike oil refinery in Voronezh Oblast, Russian official says Drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight, regional Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported the morning of June 14. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of ... Russian ammunition warehouse allegedly on fire after drone strike on Editor's note: The article was updated with reports about a fire in an ammunition warehouse. A drone attack overnight on Sept. 7 caused a fire and explosions at an unnamed facility in Russia's ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis