Argumentation and persuasion. The artwork of rhetoric is about serving to college students assume critically and talk successfully. College students don’t often need assistance forming opinions. They arrive to us fully-loaded with opinions and are MORE than able to share. What they do need assistance with is thoughtfully articulating these opinions and, extra importantly, selecting significant (ahem… non-cliché) essay subjects which are argumentative.
If I hear another pupil suggest a paper about whether or not cell telephones must be allowed in class, I’d shred it on the spot. After which throw the little shreds of paper within the air like glitter. ✨
So, what subjects are not cliché?
The hot button is being particular. The extra sudden the angle, the extra participating the essay. Broad questions like “Is expertise unhealthy?” are too imprecise. However “Ought to college students get a weekly grade for the way lengthy they go with out their telephones?” Now that’s one thing value debating.
This weblog submit will assist. Designed to spark laughter, energetic dialog, and sure, even some deep considering, these essay subjects which are argumentative will get your college students writing with voice, curiosity, and confidence.
Let’s Speak About Argumentation
Earlier than we dive into the listing, listed below are 4 methods you should use to maneuver college students towards extra subtle argumentation:
- Begin foolish. College students usually open up extra when the strain is low. Attempt subjects from the podcast “Smash, Growth, Greatest” as a enjoyable, impromptu intro to ease them into the style (and provides them talking follow). Instead, you’ll be able to have college students take heed to (or learn) the arguments introduced in one of many episodes and talk about which facet was extra persuasive and why.
- Clowns vs. Magicians
- Ketchup vs. Ranch
- Tag vs. Conceal ‘n Search
- Rollerblades vs. Scooters
- Elevators vs. Escalators
- Stripes vs. Polka Dots
- Peanut Butter vs. Marshmallows
- Bubble Gum vs. Gummy Bears
- Goldilocks vs. Little Purple Using Hood
- Birthday Events vs. Trick or Treating
- Play a sport. Attempt a persuasive sport as you might be introducing rhetorical appeals and gadgets to get college students used to utilizing rhetoric in a low-stakes (enjoyable) project.
- Get particular. Mannequin for college students how they’ll “get an angle” on a basic subject. For instance, going from “faculty uniforms” to “ought to college students design the college gown code?” makes all of the distinction.
- Use day by day life as inspiration. Something from cafeteria meals to bizarre social media developments to one thing occurring in popular culture or the information is truthful sport!
Let’s equip college students to defend their concepts with readability, analysis, and perhaps a little bit aptitude.
150 Enjoyable, Artistic, Particular Argumentative Essay Matters for Teenagers
These prompts are deliberately quirky, detailed, and debate-worthy. Use them as is or as a springboard for pupil brainstorming.
Enjoyable & Meals (or Humorous Meals?)
- Ought to cereal go first or milk?
- Is ketchup a smoothie?
- Ought to nachos be thought-about a meal or only a snack?
- Ought to faculty lunches be free for everybody?
- Are pickles essentially the most elite sandwich ingredient?
- Ought to ranch dressing be its personal meals group?
- Ought to pineapple be banned from pizza as soon as and for all?
- Is the microwave essentially the most underrated kitchen equipment?
- Ought to eating places give out free breadsticks earlier than each meal?
- Is breakfast meals higher at evening?
- Ought to faculties have “construct your individual snack” merchandising machines?
- Are smoothies simply grown-up child meals?
- Chocolate or vanilla?
- Is consuming ice cream in winter underrated?
- Ought to pizza slices be sq. or triangle?
- Are sprinkles a topping or a ornament?
- Can cereal be eaten dry and nonetheless depend as breakfast?
- Ought to college students be taught to prepare dinner earlier than they’ll graduate?
- Are muffins actually simply bare cupcakes?
- Is glowing water simply soda in disguise?
- Ought to leftovers be outlawed after 48 hours?
- Can a grilled cheese sandwich be thought-about connoisseur?
- Is soup only a savory beverage?
- Ought to meals be sorted by colour in your plate?
- Are ice cream cones higher than bowls?
- Ought to all meals are available in bite-sized type?
- Are crunchy snacks or candy snacks higher for stress aid?
- Is the crust the very best a part of pizza?
- Ought to meals be judged by how Instagrammable it’s?
- Are dips (like salsa or guac) extra vital than the chips?
Pop Tradition & Tendencies
- Are memes a legit type of communication?
- Is it moral to ghost somebody digitally?
- Ought to there be a nationwide vacation for binge-watching?
- Are spoiler alerts mandatory, or simply well mannered?
- Ought to influencers be thought-about journalists?
- Would society collapse with out Wi-Fi for one week?
- Ought to TikTok developments be fact-checked earlier than going viral?
- Is superstar gossip actual journalism?
- Ought to theme songs come again for each TV present?
- Are sequels all the time worse than the unique?
- Ought to Gen Z slang be added to the dictionary?
- Ought to style developments from the previous be copyrighted?
- Is the very best music made earlier than 2000?
- Ought to individuals earn badges for binge-watching full seasons?
- Are film villains really misunderstood heroes?
- Ought to emojis be allowed on report playing cards?
- Is it cooler to go viral accidentally or on function?
- Ought to everybody need to delete one app each month?
- Ought to everybody be required to audition for a actuality present as soon as of their life?
- Is it cooler to be underrated or overrated?
- Ought to classic style be its personal faculty topic?
- Is binge-reading higher than binge-watching?
- Ought to fictional characters have their very own social media profiles?
- Ought to TikTok dances be taught in PE?
- Ought to individuals get an “influencer license” earlier than posting adverts?
- Can video video games be thought-about literature?
- Is it higher to be internet-famous or well-known in actual life?
- Ought to basic films be remade or left alone?
- Is fan fiction a legit type of storytelling?
- Ought to celebrities be allowed to run for president?
Faculty Life
- Ought to college students be allowed to put on Halloween costumes year-round?
- Are group initiatives character constructing or chaos-inducing?
- Is it truthful to assign homework over breaks?
- Ought to faculties have pet mascots that truly dwell on campus?
- Ought to academics give their college students unhealthy treats like sweet?
- Ought to courses be rated on Yelp?
- Ought to classroom chairs get replaced with bean luggage?
- Would a school-wide nap interval enhance productiveness?
- Ought to college students vote on what the subsequent faculty vacation will have a good time?
- Is it higher to have class exterior or put on pajamas inside?
- Ought to college students be allowed to redecorate their school rooms?
- Ought to grades get replaced by emojis?
- Ought to college students get to make up their very own electives?
- Ought to college students grade their very own participation?
- Ought to college students earn badges as a substitute of letter grades?
- Ought to the principal be elected by the coed physique?
- Can cafeteria meals be rated like restaurant meals?
- Can college students design their very own report playing cards?
- Ought to school rooms have Spotify playlists taking part in softly within the background?
- Can a classroom pet enhance focus?
- Ought to faculties permit “carry your grownup to highschool” day?
- Ought to college students get to select their very own closing initiatives?
- Ought to further credit score be banned or expanded?
- Ought to faculty days embrace a “do nothing” hour for creativity?
- What’s the easiest way to resolve hallway site visitors?
- Ought to courses rotate each month for selection?
- Is faculty spirit overrated?
- Ought to faculty ID playing cards include perks like snack reductions?
- Ought to lockers be redesigned to cost telephones?
- Ought to college students be allowed to coach for particular careers in highschool vs. basic schooling?
Know-how & Every day Life
- Ought to voice memos exchange emails?
- Can robots have rights in the event that they develop personalities?
- Ought to college students get a grade for the way creatively they use AI instruments?
- Is utilizing a calculator on a math check modern or lazy?
- Are digital planners higher than paper ones?
- Is it impolite to textual content throughout a cellphone name?
- Ought to spellcheck depend as dishonest?
- Would life be higher with fewer passwords?
- Ought to individuals be allowed to call their Wi-Fi one thing bizarre?
- Are you able to be buddies with somebody you’ve solely met on-line?
- Is posting outdated trip photographs a type of time journey?
- Ought to faculties create their very own social media apps?
- Can typing pace be a legitimate life ability on a resume?
- Ought to good fridges provide you with compliments?
- Is on-line procuring higher than treasure searching in shops?
- Ought to everybody get one “tech-free” day per week?
- Are GIFs the brand new strategy to specific emotion?
- Is voice typing higher than common typing?
- Are you able to belief a assessment written by a robotic?
- Ought to there be a “no scrolling zone” in public locations?
- Ought to there be a nationwide “log out” hour?
- Ought to everybody obtain a digital time capsule on their birthday?
- Ought to texting and strolling be unlawful in crowded locations?
- Is it higher to dwell and not using a cellphone for per week or with out music?
- Can digital avatars exchange faculty photographs?
- Ought to faculties supply a category on methods to go viral?
- Ought to your cellphone routinely block poisonous feedback?
- Are you able to be taught extra from YouTube than from lectures?
- Ought to there be a compulsory check for digital fluency?
- Can a cellphone ever be thought-about your greatest good friend?
Enjoyable for Debate (And…who is aware of, perhaps even essay subjects which are argumentative. I as soon as had my college students write an essay to reply the query “Why DID the rooster cross the street?” … simply sayin…)
- Would the world be higher if everybody spoke in rhymes sooner or later per week?
- Ought to the ground be thought-about the biggest shelf?
- Would you somewhat have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon?
- Is it higher to have a time machine or a teleportation system?
- Ought to glitter be banned from planet Earth?
- Are unicorns technically narwhals?
- Can socks and sandals ever be socially acceptable?
- Ought to everybody have a private theme tune that performs once they enter a room?
- Is clapping on the finish of a film mandatory or outdated?
- Ought to everybody have a twin only for enjoyable?
- Would faculty be higher on a ship?
- Ought to pets be allowed to vote (with proprietor supervision)?
- Is it higher to dwell in a treehouse or a submarine?
- Ought to “reverse day” be legally acknowledged?
- Are socks with holes nonetheless usable or fashionably rebellious?
- Can music change the flavour of meals?
- Is it higher to whisper every thing or shout every thing (for sooner or later)?
- Ought to everybody need to commerce lives with a cartoon character for twenty-four hours?
- Ought to socks all the time match—or is mismatching a type of self-expression?
- Are you able to belief somebody who doesn’t like pizza?
- Ought to sneezing in threes be thought-about fortunate?
- Secret rooms or secret passageways?
- Ought to individuals be allowed to carry dinosaurs again if science permits?
- Would you somewhat dwell in a online game or a fairy story?
- Ought to individuals be allowed to swap birthdays?
- Would having a clone remedy extra issues than it creates?
- Ought to socks be worn to mattress?
- Ought to there be a “bizarre expertise” requirement for commencement?
- Is it higher to snort at every thing or nothing?
- Would it not be cool or creepy to dwell in a home that talks?
Analysis Paper Matters which are Argumentative
Now, let’s say it’s time for a severe essay.
Once you ask for a analysis paper, what you don’t need is one other generic deep dive into “Why social media is unhealthy” or “The professionals and cons of faculty uniforms.” Yawn. Your college students are able to a lot extra (with out placing you to sleep)!
The trick is to information your learners towards questions which are quirky and sophisticated: a number of sources, real-world connections, and sufficient nuance to gas a number of pages of thought-provoking content material. These aren’t simply your on a regular basis prompts. They’re essay subjects which are argumentative, researchable, and wealthy with potential for deeper exploration.
Listed below are 20 authentic argumentative analysis subjects with depth, character, and essay writing potential:
- Ought to synthetic intelligence be allowed to create artwork?
College students can discover copyright regulation, inventive expression, and the way forward for originality. - Are aggressive e-sports deserving of Olympic recognition?
Cue the sports activities stats, financial evaluation, and cultural legitimacy debates. - Can a faculty cafeteria affect pupil conduct or grades?
Sure, this can be a actual factor! Tie in psychology, vitamin, and campus tradition. - Ought to digital influencers be required to reveal they’re not actual?
Analysis advertising, social id, and fact in promoting. - Is nostalgia a device utilized by media (select one sort of media) to control viewers? (Or…how is nostalgia a device used to control viewers?)
A terrific mix of psychology, popular culture, and media literacy. - Ought to quick style firms be held legally chargeable for environmental injury?
Surroundings, enterprise ethics, and economics—sure, multi functional juicy paper. - Can common fundamental revenue work in a digital gig financial system?
Economics, politics, and tech. - Is social media activism changing real-world motion?
A sensible strategy to discover performative allyship, digital citizenship, and engagement. - Ought to people discover area earlier than fixing issues on Earth?
NASA, philosophy, and ethics collide in the easiest way. - Can humor be a legitimate type of protest?
Tie in historical past, communication concept, and fashionable actions (with memes, after all). - Ought to faculties use facial recognition for safety functions?
College students can discover privateness, surveillance ethics, and rising tech in schooling. - Is boredom important for creativity within the digital age?
Blends psychology, mind science, and display screen time. - Ought to influencers be taxed primarily based on their variety of followers?
Economics, digital labor, and social media ethics. - Can local weather change denial be thought-about a type of misinformation?
Media literacy, science communication, and coverage intersect right here. - Ought to there be age limits for political workplace?
Allow them to analysis historic context, voter belief, and generational illustration. - Can faculty gown codes unintentionally promote gender bias?
This one’s all the time participating—join sociology, feminism, and schooling coverage. - Is digital artwork undervalued in conventional artwork establishments?
Herald cultural shifts, gallery politics, and generational views. - Ought to area exploration be privatized?
NASA vs. SpaceX. Authorities vs. billionaires. Go. - Are fandoms a wholesome outlet or a type of digital obsession?
Psychology, id, and popular culture all wrapped into one. - Ought to firms be held accountable for the psychological well being of their customers?
Take into consideration tech giants, moral design, and company accountability.
20 Argumentative Essay Matters That You Can Write a Lot About
- Can social media activism result in real-world change?
Take a look at latest actions, consciousness campaigns, and slacktivism debates. - Is standardized testing a good measure of intelligence or potential?
Loads of room for historical past, fairness, stress, and academic reform. - Can synthetic intelligence ever absolutely exchange human academics?
Dive into tech ethics, studying concept, and emotional intelligence. - Ought to faculty be free for everybody?
Economics, equality, motivation, and taxpayer influence—a lot to unpack. - Is cancel tradition a type of accountability or public shaming?
This could go philosophical, political, or cultural. - Ought to voting be necessary in democratic societies?
Discover civic accountability, freedom, and world examples. - Can video video games enhance psychological well being and problem-solving abilities?
Analysis, psychology, and even private tales can all play an element. - Ought to faculties exchange grades with narrative suggestions?
Training concept meets real-world logistics and pupil expertise. - Is it moral to genetically modify animals or people?
Cue bioethics, science innovation, and future freak-outs. - Ought to the web be handled as a public utility?
Deep dive into entry, privilege, and infrastructure. - Ought to younger individuals be required to finish group service?
Ethics, growth, and fairness in civic engagement. - Can humor be used successfully in severe political or social actions?
Suppose memes, satire, historical past, and fashionable protest. - Ought to college students be required to take a monetary literacy course earlier than graduating?
A lot relevance, particularly round pupil debt and adulting. - Is homeschooling simpler than conventional education?
Plenty of angles: personalization, socialization, outcomes. - Can social media platforms be trusted to self-regulate content material?
Tie in free speech, misinformation, and algorithm transparency. - Ought to there be common guidelines for digital privateness?
A terrific mix of ethics, regulation, and tech. - Is quick style definitely worth the environmental price?
Consumerism, sustainability, and private accountability galore. - Ought to animals have authorized rights just like people in sure circumstances?
Authorized precedent, ethics, and animal research multi functional. - Is year-round faculty a greater mannequin for studying?
Discover summer season studying loss, household schedules, and world comparisons. - Ought to workweeks be diminished to 4 days with out chopping pay?
Actual-world examples, psychological well being, productiveness, and economics.
20 Standard Argumentative Essay Matters
- Ought to social media platforms ban political promoting?
Dive into election integrity, free speech, and digital affect. - Ought to faculty athletes be paid?
A hot-button situation mixing sports activities, economics, and equity. - Ought to the demise penalty be abolished worldwide?
Ethics, justice, and world views all come into play. - Ought to faculties require COVID-19 or different vaccinations?
Public well being, private freedom, and faculty security intersect. - Is local weather change essentially the most pressing world situation?
There’s no scarcity of proof and debate right here. - Ought to pupil mortgage debt be forgiven?
An actual-world situation with long-term penalties for younger adults. - Are smartphones making us much less social?
A tech-meets-psychology favourite for teenagers. - Ought to public transportation be free for all?
Economics, fairness, and environmental angles galore. - Ought to animal testing be banned?
A basic subject that sparks sturdy moral arguments. - Ought to faculties ban junk meals and soda?
Public well being meets private selection. - Is homeschooling higher than conventional education?
Standard post-pandemic subject with numerous instructions to discover. - Ought to voting be on-line in nationwide elections?
Know-how, safety, and accessibility are all at play. - Ought to violent video video games be age-restricted extra strictly?
Debate round media, conduct, and parental accountability. - Ought to college students be allowed to make use of AI instruments like ChatGPT in schoolwork?
Well timed, related, and stuffed with nuance. - Ought to celebrities be political spokespeople?
Affect, experience, and ethics collide. - Ought to there be stricter gun management legal guidelines?
A broadly debated and emotionally charged situation. - Ought to zoos nonetheless exist in 2025?
Animal rights, schooling, and conservation arguments abound. - Ought to college students have the correct to grade their academics?
Energy dynamics and accountability in schooling. - Is common healthcare a human proper?
A globally related debate with deep social implications. - Ought to the authorized voting age be lowered to 16?
Political engagement, maturity, and equity—this one sparks actual dialogue.
Wrapping It Up: Let College students Shine
Once you hand college students a particular, authentic immediate, you give them the liberty to shine. Argumentative writing turns into much less about ticking packing containers and extra about utilizing their voices. They begin to see writing as a strategy to entertain, to query, to problem the abnormal.
So subsequent time a pupil says, “I don’t know what to jot down about,” simply hand them this listing of essay subjects which are argumentative. Or higher but… allow them to provide you with their very own subjects or variations!
Ask them what bugs them, what cracks them up, what they’d argue about with their greatest good friend at lunch…after which assist them to show these into superior, narrowed-down essay subjects for argumentation!
And if anybody nonetheless insists on writing about cell telephones in faculties? Effectively… maintain that shredder helpful. Simply in case.
