Persuasive writing is one of those skills that can help students succeed in real life. Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative, but they rely less on facts and more on emotion to sway the reader. It’s important to know your audience so you can anticipate any counterarguments they might make and try to overcome them. Try reading some mentor texts to show kids great examples of opinion writing. Then use these persuasive essay topics for practice.
Jump to:
- School and Education Persuasive Essay Topics
- Life and Ethics Persuasive Essay Topics
- Science and Technology Persuasive Essay Topics
- Sports and Entertainment Persuasive Essay Topics
- Just for Fun Persuasive Essay Topics
School and Education Persuasive Essay Topics
- Do you think homework should be required, optional, or not given at all?
- Students should/should not be able to use their phones during the school day.
- Should schools have dress codes?
- If I could change one school rule, it would be …
- Is year-round school a good idea?
- Should we stop giving final exams?
- Is it better to be good at academics or good at sports?
- Which is better, private schools or public schools?
- Should every student have to participate in athletics?
- Do you think schools should ban junk food from their cafeterias?
- Should students be required to volunteer in their communities?
- What is the most important school subject?
- Are letter grades helpful, or should we replace them with something else?
- Is it ever OK to cheat on homework or a test?
- Should students get to grade their teachers?
- Do you think college should be free for anyone who wants to attend?
- Should schools be allowed to ban some books from their libraries?
- Which is better, book smarts or street smarts?
- Should all students have to learn a foreign language?
- Are single-gender schools better or worse for students?
Life and Ethics Persuasive Essay Topics
- Is it OK to eat animals?
- What animal makes the best pet?
- Visit an animal shelter, choose an animal that needs a home, and write an essay persuading someone to adopt that animal.
- If you find money on the ground, should you try to find the person who lost it, or is it yours to keep?
- Who faces more peer pressure, girls or boys?
- Should all Americans be required to vote?
- Is it better to be kind or truthful?
- Which is better, giving or receiving?
- Is it OK to keep animals in zoos?
- Should we change the minimum driving age in the United States?
- Which is more important, happiness or success?
- Is democracy the best form of government?
- Is social media helpful or harmful?
- Should parents be punished for their children’s mistakes or crimes?
- Should kids have set bedtimes or just go to bed when they’re sleepy?
- Do you think the government should find a way to provide free health care for everyone?
- Is it better to save your allowance or spend it?
- Should we ban plastic bags and bottles?
- Which is better, living in the city or in the country?
- If I could make a new law, it would be …
Science and Technology Persuasive Essay Topics
- Is Pluto a planet?
- Should human cloning be legal?
- Should vaccines be mandatory?
- Is it right for countries to still maintain nuclear weapon arsenals?
- Should testing on animals be made illegal?
- Will expanded use of artificial intelligence be good for humanity?
- Should all people have free Internet access in their homes?
- Is there intelligent life on other planets?
- Does technology create more jobs than it eliminates?
- Should parents use their children’s cell phones to track where they are?
- Should scientists try to develop a way for people to live forever?
- What’s the best type of smartphone: Android or iPhone?
- Which is better, Macs or PCs?
- Do people rely too much on technology in the modern world?
- Should cryptocurrencies replace cash?
- Should there be a minimum age requirement to own a smartphone?
- Is it important to keep spending money on space exploration, or should we use the money for other things?
- Should kids under 13 be allowed to use social media sites?
- Should we ban cigarette smoking and vaping entirely?
- Is it better to be an animal that lives in the water or on land?
Sports and Entertainment Persuasive Essay Topics
- Should kids be allowed to watch TV on school nights?
- Which is better, paper books or e-books?
- Is the current movie rating system (G, PG, PG-13, etc.) effective?
- Are video games better than board games?
- Should we allow little kids to play competitive sports?
- Which is better, reading books or watching TV?
- Does playing violent video games make people more violent in real life?
- Are graphic novels just as valuable as traditional fictional books?
- Should everyone play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender?
- Choose a book that’s been made into a movie. Which was better, the movie or the book?
- Who is the world’s best athlete, present or past?
- Are professional athletes/musicians/actors overpaid?
- Which is better, fiction or nonfiction?
- The best music genre is …
- What is one book that everyone should read?
- What new sport should be added to the Olympics?
- What’s the best video game system?
- Does playing video games make you smarter?
- Does reality TV actually depict real life?
- Should all neighborhoods have free parks and playgrounds?
Just for Fun Persuasive Essay Topics
- What’s the best holiday?
- The very best food of all time is …
- Which is better, artificial Christmas trees or real ones?
- What’s the best season of the year?
- Should you put ketchup on a hot dog?
- Is a taco a sandwich?
- Does fruit count as dessert?
- Should people have to go to school or work on their birthday?
- Are clowns scary or funny?
- Which is more dangerous, werewolves or vampires?
- The best pizza topping is …
- What would be the best superpower to have?
- Should everyone make their bed every day?
- Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
- Should you put pineapple on a pizza?
- Should you eat macaroni and cheese with a spoon or a fork?
- Describe the world’s best ice cream sundae.
- Is Monday the worst day of the week?
- Would you rather travel back in time or forward in time?
- Is it better to be too hot or too cold?
- Are there aliens living among us here on Earth?
What are your favorite persuasive essay topics for students? Come exchange ideas in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out The Big List of Essay Topics for High School (120+ Ideas!).
