Debate Topics Wheel
Debating teaches students to give reasons, listen to the other side and change their mind when the evidence is good. This wheel holds 24 statements that children have real opinions about, such as recess should be longer, every class should have a pet and books are better than films. Spin one, give pairs or teams a few minutes to plan, then take arguments for and against. The topics also make strong prompts for persuasive writing. None of them are about sensitive personal subjects, so they work as a safe first step before debating curriculum topics. Edit the list to suit your students' age.
How to use it
- The wheel is ready with 24 entries. Press Spin, click the wheel or press Space, and the result appears in the middle.
- Open Edit entries to change the list for your class, or press Use my class instead to spin your students' names.
- Press Present (or F) to show just the wheel on the board. Turn on Take winners off the wheel in Settings if you don't want repeats.
Ways to use it in class
- Quick debate: spin a topic, give each side three minutes to plan and one minute each to speak.
- Opinion line: students stand along a line from strongly agree to strongly disagree and explain their spot.
- Persuasive writing: spin a topic and write a paragraph for one side, then a paragraph for the other.
More ready-made wheels
Questions teachers ask
Can I change what's on the wheel?
Yes. Open Edit entries to add, remove or reword anything, one entry per line. Your changes last until you leave the page, and Restore brings back the original list.
Can I spin my students' names instead?
Yes. Press Use my class instead to swap the entries for your saved class, with absent students left off. Press the back button in the same place to return to this wheel's entries.
Is every entry equally likely?
Yes. The result is chosen with your browser's cryptographic random number generator before the wheel moves, and every slice has the same chance. Turn on Take winners off the wheel in Settings to avoid repeats.
Will ads show on my projector?
No. Press Present (or F) and the screen shows only the wheel and the Spin button, in large type for the back of the room.