85+ Fun Argumentative Topics for High School Writing and Debates

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Argument writing doesn’t need to be formal and serious! Fun argumentative topics for high school are a great way to introduce the basics of defending your stance, acknowledging counterarguments, and organizing your thinking to better convince your audience. 

Find inspiration in a list of argumentative essay topics for high school debate, writing, or any other time your class is in the mood for a lively discussion. We’ve also included high-quality argument writing resources to teach these skills and tips to bring these topics into your class setting, no matter which subject you teach!

Teen Life Argumentative Topics

There’s a lot going on in a teen’s life, and they have a lot of opinions about it. Use these fun argumentative topics for high school on teen life as writing prompts, debate topics, or quick icebreakers and conversation starters in the early days of the school year.

• Should you be allowed to use your phone in a movie theater?
• Would it be worse to skip the teen years or be stuck in the teen years forever?
• Are pajamas real clothes if you wear them outside?
• Would chocolate spaghetti be terrible or delicious?
• Is it disrespectful to tell someone they look bad in an outfit? 
• Should gossip be considered legitimate communication?
• Would you rather lose the ability to type or the ability to speak?
• Would it be better to have Halloween every day or lose Halloween altogether?
• Should teachers use teen slang?
•  Would Taylor Swift or MrBeast be a better president?
•  Do you think time in the gym should count as PE credit?
•  Should the school replace water fountains with soda fountains?
•  Is punctuation in a text message hostile?
•  Should we give influencers awards?
•  Should students get extra credit for going viral in Media Studies?
•  Since chocolate has milk, is it healthy?
•  Should it be okay to date an AI?
•  Is pizza crust part of the meal or something to throw away?
•  Should sports teams be split by age or by height?
•  Is “liking” another person’s photo technically cheating?
•  Should students be allowed to watch online videos during class?
•  Is it acceptable to eavesdrop on a phone conversation if they’re on speakerphone?
•  Should parents be banned from social media?
•  Who is the most overrated celebrity?

Include argument prompts as daily bell ringers

Help students develop their argument skills by working on them every day, right from the moment the bell rings. Use low-prep resources that include quick ways to bring argument topics into warm-ups and bell ringers, all without taking too much time from the rest of your class period.

AP Language Argument Bell Ringers | Argument Essay Thesis Graphic Organizers
By The English Department
Grades: 10th-12th
Subjects Writing Essays
Standards: CCSS CCRA.W.1, W.5; CCRA.SL.1

A CCSS-aligned resource takes high schoolers through the process of writing an argumentative essay — without writing yet another essay! It includes a graphic organizer activity sheet to help students develop their argument from response to thesis statement, as well as 20 high-interest topics that work well as bell ringers during your argumentative writing unit.

Bring real-world concepts into an argument writing unit

If you’re planning a unit with current events for high school students, consider adding a final argument essay as a possible summative assessment. These resources guide high schoolers through the process of writing a structured argument essay on topics that they know and care about.

Argument Essay Writing Practice | Part 2 English Regents Exam | Vaping
By HS English and MORE with Ms K
Grades: 9th-12th
Subjects: ELA Test Prep, Writing Essays
Standards: CCSS RI.9-10.1, 2, 6, 8; W.9-10.1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, W.9-10.2, 2e, 4

Whether students are preparing for the New York State English Regents Exam, another state writing exam, or working on a writing unit in your classroom, this argument essay resource is a complete way to augment their learning. It comes with a pro/con chart, four reference texts, a graphic organizer to structure the essay, and an essay booklet — all on the topic of whether vaping is a helpful way to stop smoking.

Embarrassing Argumentative Topics for High School

If teens had to make a list of the things that embarrass them, it would probably take less time to list the things that don’t! Use these argumentative topics and “Would You Rather” questions for high school students to describe those “cringe” moments in their lives.

•  Would it be worse to have your face on a meme or to have a theme song play whenever you enter the room?
•  Are kid influencers cringe or cool?
•  Is it more embarrassing to accidentally call your teacher “Mom” or to fall asleep in class?
•  What is the acceptable time limit on reminding people about an awkward moment?
•  Would it be worse to accidentally livestream your first kiss or a moment when you’re gossiping about a friend?
•  Are “Dad Jokes” secretly funny?
•  Would you rather wear the same clothes for a year or never shower for a year?
•  Would you rather burp bubbles or sneeze glitter?
•  Would it be worse to publish your search history or your deepest secret?
•  Is it cute or cringe when your parents kiss?
•  Should parents be allowed to post embarrassing photos of their kids online?
•  Would it be worse to throw up in class or to have a bathroom accident?
•  Would it be embarrassing to receive a Valentine from your mom in school?
•  Would it be better to have the power to undo an embarrassing moment or to make someone else have an embarrassing moment?
•  Is it worse to wear the same outfit as your teacher or as your parent?
•  Should parents be banned from embarrassing their kids on purpose?
•  What is the most embarrassing thing you can be suspended for?
•  Would you rather have your crush revealed at a pep rally or perform a preschool song on live TV?
•  Would you rather be friendless or dateless at a dance? 
•  Would it be more embarrassing to wear your parents’ clothes to school or wear your clothes from elementary school?

Learn each step of an argumentative essay

It’s one thing to come up with an opinion on a topic, but another to draft an entire essay about it. Use step-by-step resources to guide high schoolers through the pre-writing, essay writing, and peer evaluation stages of an argument essay.

Argument Writing DIGITAL Interactive Argumentative Essay
By Darlene Anne – Middle School ELA
Grades: 6th-10th
Subject: Writing Essays
Standards: CCSS.W.6.1, 7.1, 8.1, 9-10.1; CCRA.W.1

Ideal for independent learners and students in need of a little review, this argumentative writing resource allows students to explore each step of an entire writing unit. It includes a PDF with digital links, an explanation of argumentative writing vs. persuasive writing, a step-by-step guide to essay organization, an argumentative essay scramble activity, and more.

Argumentative Topics on TV and Movies

Any high school teacher knows that bringing up TV and movies gets a strong reaction from their students. These engaging debate topics for high school are great ways for students to work on their argumentative skills and to get to know each other in a fun and interesting way.

•  What’s the funniest movie of all time?
•  Does watching a movie on your phone ruin the experience?
•  Is it more fun to binge watch a series or a movie trilogy?
•  Are kids’ shows valuable or do they just get kids addicted to screens?
•  What movie is so bad that it’s good?
•  Does audience laughter make a show funnier or lamer?
•  Is the movie theater experience fun? What would make it better?
•  If you had to choose one movie to watch for the rest of your life, what would it be?
•  Is slapstick comedy funny?
•  Should TV count as screen time?
•  Is comedy funnier when people use curse words?
•  Are TV and movie award shows still relevant?
•  Is it better to watch TV one episode at a time or binge the whole series?
•  What movie sequel definitely didn’t need to exist?
•  Is reality TV harmful or informative?
•  Is the “mockumentary” comedy style funny or boring?
•  Should you be allowed to bring food into the movie theater?
•  Are animated movies only for kids?
•  Are the G, PG, PG-13, and R ratings fair?
•  Who is the funniest actor or actress of all time?
•  Are action movies exciting or boring?

Keep it focused with lessons on the thesis statement

An argument essay is only as strong as its thesis statement. Help students get to the core of the matter with CCSS-aligned resources on developing, supporting, and revising a thesis statement in argumentative writing.

Argumentative Writing Thesis Statement Based Argument Essay Unit Every Paragraph
By DiGiGoods and Printables ELA
Grades: 6th-10th
Subject: Writing Essays
Standards: CCSS.W.7.1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, W.7.2b, 2c, 2f, W.8.1a, 1b, W.9-10.1, 1a, 1b

Teach students to write focused, concise argumentative essays with a thorough writing unit. With graphic organizers, mini-lessons, paired passages, anchor charts, and more, framed in the structure of mini-workshops that take high schoolers from pre-writing to student editing and evaluation.

Argumentative Essay Writing Rubric Argument Essay Writing
By The Beach Chair Teacher
Grades: 6th-12th
Subjects: ELA Test Prep, Writing Essays
Standards: CCSS W.6.1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 6.2, 2e, 2f, 6.9b, W.7.1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 2d, 2e, 2f

Need to teach an argumentative writing unit, but short on time this semester? Try a time-saving essay rubric resource that students can use as both a writing guide and an evaluation checklist. It encourages students to thoughtfully edit their peers’ work while learning what to include in their own writing.

Fantastical Argumentative Topics for High Schoolers

For students who think creatively and love “What If” questions, a list of argumentative topics involving sci-fi, fantasy, and other imaginative genres may help them grasp the argument writing process. Have them argue in class or write their own essays to get into even more details!

•  Should we have clones to help us with daily tasks?
•  The world is ending. Which five professions must be saved?
•  Would it be better to wake up as Garfield the cat or Bluey the dog?
•  If a person had magical powers, would they be obligated to report them?
•  Should deep space travel be open to all people or just astronauts?
•  Would it be better to be a zombie or a zombie fighter?
•  Which lost power would affect Superman more?
•  Who would win in a fight: clowns or vampires?
•  If time travel were real, would you need a license to use it?
•  Who would be better at ruling the world: dogs or cats?
•  Should we be able to meet alternate selves from parallel universes?
•  If ghosts are real, should they have to pay rent?
•  Would it be ethical to reincarnate someone without asking them beforehand?
•  Is it unfair to make AI work without paying it?
•  Are clowns funny or freaky?
•  If you were an alien, would you rather land on a mountain or in the ocean?
•  If you could see the future, would you be obligated to stop terrible things from happening?
•  If there were a way to design a child’s life before they were born, should a parent do it?
•  Could downloading memories into a device prevent grief after someone dies?
•  If people could fly, should they have to wait until a certain age to do it?

How to Use Fun Argumentative Topics in Class

Now that you’ve got a workable list of entertaining argumentative essay topics for high schoolers, it’s time to put it to use! Find ways to introduce argument writing and speaking in a fun way with prompts that aren’t as serious as others.

• Use argument prompts as SEL activities for high school in which students can participate in low-stakes discussions and debates.
• Have one argument topic on the board (or slideshow) a day for students to consider as writing prompts for high school.
• Include less serious argument prompts in formal debates to teach students debate structure in a straightforward way.
• Add fun argumentative topics for high school to an exam for students to choose alongside other writing prompts.
• Practice casual arguments in class to reinforce communication as an important life skills activity for high school students.
• Host mini debates in class that give students just a few minutes to gather their argument, and five minutes to win a debate.
• Fold these prompts into your question of the day for high school students to begin each class in a mindful way.

Keep arguments structured, controlled, and fun

At its heart, argument writing is an engaging way for students to express themselves and connect with the issues in their lives. When you use fun argumentative topics for high school, students can use these skills for topics that don’t involve a high level of research or emotion — but that they still feel strongly about! Find more argumentative text and writing resources for high school students to practice forming their arguments in both writing and speech, all with topics that get them excited about learning.