In order to begin our classroom debate, we will brainstorm several possible topics through research and discussion. Afterwards, we will vote on our top 3 choices and create a resolution.
Step 1: Brainstorm
Locate as many topics as possible that could be discussed through a debate setting. Use the questions and resources below to guide your searching.
When determining if the topic can be used in a debate, use these guiding questions:
Stuck for a topic? Don’t know where to start?
Google Trend: Provides popular topic and searching within Google. Refresh for updates.
New York Times: Room for Debate: Using NYT articles, shows arguments for current events
Past Policy Debate Topics: A list of past national policy debate topics - these are very broad
VICE Topics and Episodes: Great doc series focusing on national and global issues
iDebate.org: Top 100 Debates: Debate forum - list of popular topics by students.
Step 2: Narrow our Topics and Writing Resolutions
In order to ensure that the debate is focused and fair - a resolution is necessary. A resolution is the basis for the debate - what the affirmative sets out to do, and what the negative is trying to prove wrong. Debaters build their cases and arguments around these resolutions - therefore the wording in the resolution is VERY specific and VERY important. Based on our top topic picks - write resolutions that would focus our debates
|Topic||Topic: Violence in Video Games|
|Sample Resolution||The United States federal government should substantially increase its regulations for the production, purchase, and sales of violent video games|
Supports the resolution
Supports keeping things "as they are"