Debating skills in kids are vital to expressing their ideas and opinions clearly and effectively in a formal debate setting.
Apart from the many tools like games, books, and even questions, class debates can be an excellent way for students in grades 4 and 5 to develop their critical thinking, public speaking, and overall personalities. They also help students become more confident and self-assured.
Choosing suitable topics for elementary school students and helping them develop opinions from various perspectives can be challenging. Instead, choosing topics related to their day-to-day lives and levels of understanding can make debating more interesting for kids.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of engaging and interesting topics for you to organize a debate in class for small kids in grades 4 or 5.
Simple yet thought-provoking debate topics for 4th and 5th graders
Choose or ideate from a list of more than seventy topics below for engaging thought-provoking debates in class:
- Should 10-year-old students use phones or not?
- Is technology making our lives better?
- Should kids be allowed to spend a long time on the phone?
- Should more people recycle?
- Should there be more of public green spaces and play areas?
- Must we consume more vegetables and fruits?
- Should people drive less and bicycle or walk more often?
- Should solar energy completely replace all other forms of energy?
- Video games: are they too violent?
- Should it be made mandatory for children to exercise for one hour every day?
- Is it possible that there are aliens out there?
- Should volunteering be mandatory?
- Does the ghost really exist?
- Should schools have a “no homework” policy on weekends?
- Should children sleep early or a little late?
- Are pets useful or helpful?
- Do students need recess?
- Should schools have more outdoor activities and classes?
- Should plastic be banned or not?
- Should school be in the morning or the afternoon?
- Would you spend all the money you have or save it
- How long should a lunch break be?
- Would you prefer schooling or studying at home?
- Should students wear uniforms to school?
- Should parents be held responsible for the actions of their children?
- Should the government provide free healthcare for all?
- How are humans responsible for pollution?
- Should we ban social media?
- Should the government take greater action to safeguard threatened species?
- Should there be stricter guidelines for using fireworks?
- Should video games be considered a sport?
- Should animation be used in education?
- Should teachers treat students as friends?
- Should there be a no-bullying policy in schools?
- Should teachers enable children to select their own books to read?
- Should there be a clothing code at schools?
- Should young people be permitted to acquire pets of their own?
- Should kids be permitted to pick their own dinner?
- Should teenagers be allowed to own phones?
- Should parents restrict how much time their kids can spend watching TV or playing video games?
- Board games are inferior to video games.
- Summer is better than winter.
- Cameras should be installed in classrooms and school halls.
- Should kids be allowed to choose their own stuff?
- Is it appropriate to let young kids choose their own activities?
- Should teenagers be capable of handling their own finances?
- Should toddlers have their own room from an early age?
- Should parents give their children privacy?
- Is education mandatory for all?
- Should you tell everything to your parents?
- Books are better than television.
- Children should be paid to go to school.
- Is sometimes cheating okay or not
- Do movies teach us useful things?
- Is history not beneficial for us?
- Success is not as important as happiness.
- Should you be famous or wealthy?
- Is alcohol addictive or medicinal?
- Life skills like cooking and personal finance should be taught in school.
- People who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
- Students should be allowed to grade teachers.
- Schools with only one gender are better for students.
- Is math an essential subject?
- Every student should participate in athletics.
- What is the Value of Participation in Extracurricular Activities at School?
- Should Students’ Attendance at School Become Optional?
- Education ought to be free.
- Should using animals be prohibited?
- Animals should not be kept as pets.
- Exams are better than coursework.
- Is television a negative influence on us?
- Whether to forbid junk food for kids or not
- Should we choose to read books in English or in our mother tongue?
- Should there only be three days of school a week?
- Does Allowing Cell Phones in Schools Make Sense?
How to choose the perfect debate topic?
The ability to debate and support other points of view is a crucial life skill for kids. Debates instruct students in topic research, decision-making, and persuasive argumentation using facts rather than emotion. Here are some tips for choosing the perfect topic for kids.
- Consider the age and level of understanding of the children: Choose a topic that is age-appropriate and relevant to the children’s level of understanding.
- Keep it simple and clear: Avoid complex and technical terms and phrases that may confuse the children.
- Make it relevant to their lives: Choose a topic that is of interest to the children and relates to their daily lives. This will make it more engaging and easier for them to understand.
- Consider current events: Choose a topic that is current and relevant to the world around them. This will give them an opportunity to learn about current events and issues.
- Encourage diversity of opinions: Choose a topic that allows for different perspectives and opinions. This will encourage children to think critically and consider different viewpoints.
- Consider the time available: Choose a topic that can be debated within the time available for the debate.
- Keep it neutral: Choose a topic that does not have any political or religious bias so that all children can participate in the debate without feeling uncomfortable.
Conclusion
For kids, participating in class debates can offer a number of advantages. It can aid in the development of their persuasive, public speaking, and critical thinking abilities. It can also improve their research and organizational abilities. Additionally, it might improve their capacity to listen and comprehend various viewpoints, as well as their self-confidence and self-esteem. In short, class debates can be a valuable tool for developing a wide range of essential skills in children.
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn