Conversational Topics

Studets generally like sharing their opinion on a given topic. Here are some examples of topics that are suitable for class discussions:

• Using animals in medical research helps people
• Gay marriages are wrong
• Women will never be equal to men in the workplace
• You can’t have a happy family life and a successful career at the same time
• Marriage is outdated
• The death penalty is acceptable in some cases
• Foreigners shouldn’t be allowed to vote
• Celebrities earn too much money
• Military service should be obligatory
• War is never an option for solving international disputes
• Torture can be acceptable in some cases
• Curfews keep teens out of trouble
• We are becoming too dependent on computers
• Smoking should be banned worldwide
• Single-sex schools are evil
• Homework is harmful
• A woman’s place is in the home
• Committing suicide should be made legal
• A man should have a wife for the family and a mistress for pleasure
• Soft drugs should be legalized.
• Those who can - do, those who can’t – teach
• You will be happier if you stay unmarried
• Software piracy is not really a crime
• We do not really need religion
• Your race affects your intelligence
• Euthanasia should be legal
• Obesity is a disease
• Video games contribute to youth violence
• Drinking age should be lowered
• Steroids should be accepted in sports
• Cloning has a lot of benefits
• Prenuptial agreements make families stronger
• Corporal punishment should be allowed in schools.
• Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?
• Do You Keep a Diary or Journal?
• Should Schools Offer Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?
• Would You Like to Take a Class Online?
• Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?
• What Is Your Personal Credo?
• How Do You Personalize the Things You’re Required to Have at School?
• Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?
• Do You Participate in Class?
• Do Attractive People Have Advantages Others Don’t?
• What Motivates You?
• Do You Support Affirmative Action?
• What Role Does Television Play in Your Life and the Life of Your Family?
• Why Do You Write?
• How Do You Use Facebook?
• What Journey Do You Most Want to Make?
• What Are You Afraid Of?
• What Have You Made Yourself?
• Do You Trust Your Government?
• What Are Your Favorite Cartoons?
• Who Is Your Role Model?
• Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?
• Do You Have Good Manners?
• What Causes Should Philanthropic Groups Finance?
• Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal Personhood?
• What Challenges Have You Set for Yourself?
• Have You Experienced Sexual Harassment?
• Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?
• Would You Want to Be Home-Schooled?
• Do Presidential Candidates Need to Be Good Debaters?
• Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?
• Are You a Brand?
• Do You Sympathize With the Occupy Wall Street Movement?
• What Do You Read, and How Do You Read It?
• Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?
• Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?
• Do Your Parents Support Your Learning?
• What Are You Grateful For?
• What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?
• What Are You Good At?
• Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks?
• When in Your Life Have You Been a Leader?
• What Would You Put in Your Emergency ‘Go-Bag’?
• What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
• Which Republican Candidate Will Win the Presidential Nomination?
• What’s Next for Computing?
• What New Emoticons Does the World Need?
• Should the Morning-After Pill Be Sold Over the Counter to People Under 17?
• Are We Losing the Art of Listening?
• Do You Discuss Religion With Friends?
• What Places in Your Past Do You Appreciate More Now, From a Distance?
• Would You Consider Deleting Your Facebook Account?
• Is It Wrong to Sell Store-Bought Pastries at a Bake Sale?
• What Will You Remember Most From 2011?
• Have You Ever Interacted With the Police?
• What’s Your Favorite Holiday Food Memory?
• How Are You Spending the Holiday Break?
• Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions?
• Do You Have a Signature Clothing Item?
• Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well?
• What Would Your Personal Mascot Be?
• What Is Your Favorite Place?
• What if Your Parent Ran for President?
• What Game Would You Like to Redesign?
• What’s Your Favorite (Printable) Slang Term?
• Should Charities Focus More on America?
• What Is the Right Amount of Group Work in School?
• Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?
• Who Would You Share Your Passwords With?
• Do You Think You’re Brave?
• What Is Your Most Memorable Writing Assignment?
• What Would You Like to Learn on Your Own?
• What Are the Best Movies You Saw in 2015?
• Should the Dropout Age Be Raised?
• How Should You Handle the End of a Friendship?
• Do You Have a Blog?
• Do You Watch the Super Bowl?
• Do You Cook?
• Do College Rankings Matter?
• Do You Like Being Alone?
• What Story Does Your Personal Data Tell?
• How Would You Make Over Your Mall?
• How Do Male and Female Roles Differ in Your Family?
• Should Home-Schoolers Be Allowed to Play Public School Sports?
• Do You Eat Too Quickly?
• Who Inspires You?
• Are You a Novelty-Seeker?
• Would You Rather Attend a Public or a Private High School?
• How Much Information Is ‘Too Much Information’?
• Should Companies Collect Information About You?
• What Do You Eat During the School Day?
• What Are Your Favorite Young Adult Novels?
• What Kind of Feedback Helps You Improve?
• What Are Your Family Stories of Sacrifice?
• What’s the Racial Makeup of Your School?
• Fluent in Vocal Fry, Creaky Voice or Uptalk?
• What Would You Name Your Neighborhood?
• Can Kindness Become Cool?
• What Have You Done to Earn Money?
• What Questions Do You Have About How the World Works?
• What Are Your Favorite Junk Foods?
• How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?
• How Important Is It to Have a Driver’s License?
• How Do You Feel About Zoos?
• Would You Quit if Your Values Did Not Match Your Employers?
• Should the R Rating for ‘Bully’ Be Changed?
• Are Antismoking Ads Effective?
• Where Is the Line Between Truth and Fiction?
• How Productive and Organized Are You?
• What’s the Coolest Thing You’ve Ever Seen in a Museum?
• What Is Your Reaction to the Trayvon Martin Case?
• What Can Other Schools Learn — and Copy — From Your School?
• What Do You Hope to Be Doing the Year After You Graduate From College?
• What Small Things Have You Seen and Taken Note of Today?
• Do You Know How to Code?
• What Movies, Shows or Books Do You Wish Had Sequels, Spinoffs or New Episodes?
• What Would You Do If You Won the Lottery?
• Do You Want to Write a Book?
• How Do You Celebrate Spring?
• Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing ‘Stupid Games’?
• How Do You Archive Your Life?
• Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?
• What Is Your Fantasy Vacation?
• Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?
• What Things Did You Create When You Were a Child?
• When Did You Last Have a Great Conversation?
• Why Do You Share Photos?
• What Leader Would You Invite to Speak at Your School?
• What Have You And Your Family Accomplished Together?
• Is TV Too White?
• How Necessary Is a College Education?
• How Much Does Your Life in School Intersect With Your Life Outside School?
• How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?
• Do You Prefer Your Tacos ‘Authentic’ or ‘Appropriated’?
• What’s Cluttering Up Your Life?
• When Have You Ever Failed at Something? What Happened as a Result?
• What Teacher Do You Appreciate?
• Do You Prefer Your Children’s Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?
• When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?
• How Should Parents Address Internet Pornography?
• Does Mitt Romney’s High School Bullying Matter?
• Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?
• When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?
• How Far Would You Go for Fashion?
• How Often Do You Interact With People of Another Race or Ethnicity?
• What Would Your Fantasy Road Trip Be Like?
• Would You Consider a Nontraditional Occupation?
• How Full Is Your Glass?
• What’s On Your Summer Reading List?
• What’s Your Comfort Food?
• What Cuts Should Cash-Strapped Schools Make?
• When Do You Become an Adult?
• Who Would Be the Ideal Celebrity Neighbor?
• How Close Are You to Your Parents?
• How Do You Keep Up With the News?
• What Advice Would You Give to Somebody Who Just Started Dating?
• What Is Your Opinion About the Morning-After Pill?
• Do You Have a Job?
• When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences? 
• Sources:  http://busyteacher.org/4686-33-controversial-topics-and-how-to-teach-them.html; http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/163-questions-to-write-or-talk-about/?_r=0https://www.scribd.com/doc/53173778/50-interesting-topics-for-discussion.