I'm teaching a debate class.What are some good debate topics for 4th & 5th graders?

Question

Please be detailed and don't suggest anything crude or unruling.

Answer 1

You could have a debate over school uniform if the school have a dress code. A debate over too much home works over the weekend. A debate over why they should graduate from high school and college.

Answer 2

4th Grade Debate Topics

Answer 3

5th Grade Debate Topics

Answer 4

I would suggest starting them off with things that are close to their lives, to help them understand how to debate.

Examples:
It is wrong to have pets.
School uniforms should be required.
Recess should be removed from the curriculum (or added).
Cellphones should be allowed in school.
Boys and girls should go to separate schools.
Homework should be eliminated.
Spanking children is never okay.
School should go all year round instead of having summer break.

After the kids get the idea, and start to understand the structure of debates, how to disagree with the idea and not the person, how to argue a point they don't necessarily believe, and how to support their arguments with examples... you can move on to more current-event-related topics. These are topics that might require actual research.

Examples:
school vouchers
legalization of drugs
death penalty
animal rights
universal healthcare
war in Iraq

Some of these topics will be too complex or sophisticated for 4th/5th graders. It all depends on the maturity and ability level of the kids.

Answer 5

Debating strategies:
Select a statement appropriate for your students, read aloud the statement, and give students 5 minutes to collect their thoughts about the topic. Then ask students if they

strongly agree,
agree,
disagree, or
strongly disagree

Topics:

Some statement examples:

Kids should be able to have TVs in their bedrooms.

Wearing a helmet when riding a bike should be mandatory.

Chewing gum should be banned from schools.

Kids should be able to spend their allowance any way they want to.

(You can also get statements from story books. Fairy tale or facts.)

Other ideas:

Types of toothpastes: What toothpastes are good and why, and why others aren't good.

Healthy food/junk food. They can debate about healthy foods and junk food- the good things and the bad.

Venturing into space. Good or bad? Good to discover but costly in expense and lives.

Keeping animals in cages or setting them free in the wild. Good or bad? Have them debate about the reasons why it is either good or bad.

Answer 6

teaching debate classgood debate topics 4th 5th graders

Answer 7

Age when students can start going out. High school or younger? Teaches responsibility.
Amount of homework per day.
TV good or bad? Makes people lazy sedentary and as a result fat
Fast food good or bad? Provides jobs, unhealthy, lots of tax revenue, pollution
Hope you have an interesting debate.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
I'm teaching a debate class.What are some good debate topics for 4th & 5th graders?
Please be detailed and don't suggest anything crude or unruling.

Answer 9

This is a great question and I would like to keep this for future reference. You can always ask the students also for feedback or have one student once a week give you a debate topic and earn extra credit give them a week in advance notice that it will be their turn next week and it cannot be on a topic that has been discussed already.

Answer 10

Resolved: Parents should have total control over children (anyone under 18) surfing the internet by listing allowable sites that they may visit.

Resolved: Students should be required to participate in physical education in grades K-12.