1. Should college athletes be paid for playing?
2. Should all Americans have to complete a year of community service?
3. Should students be required to take Spanish classes?
4. Should the voting age be lowered?
5. Should the driving age be raised?
6. Should illegal immigrants be allowed to get drivers’ licenses?
7. Should students have to pass a basic skills test to get a high school diploma?  If so, what type of material should be included?
8. Should girls be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams?
9. Should immigration laws be reformed?
10. Should restaurants be allowed to serve genetically-modified chicken?
11. Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals like tigers as pets?
12. Should more be done to protect and preserve endangered animals?
13. Should high school classes start later in the morning?
14. Should scientists be allowed to test products intended for human use on animals?
15. Should students as young as fourteen be allowed to hold part time jobs?
16. Should people who are involved in accidents while drunk lose their licenses for a year?
17. Should female construction workers earn the same wages as males?
18. Should children who commit violent crimes be tried as adults?
19. Should the government be allowed to detain suspected terrorists without trial?
20. Should high school graduates take a year off before entering college?
21. Should all citizens be required by law to vote?
22. Should the primary mission of colleges be to prepare students for the workforce?
23. Should all students in high school and college be required to take at least two years of a foreign language?
24. Should higher taxes be put on junk food and sugary soft drinks?
25. Should the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit be restored on all national highways?
26. Should colleges put less emphasis on SAT scores?
27. Should animals be used for research?
28. Should torture ever be used in investigations?
29. Should English be the official language in the United States?
30. Should the military be allowed to recruit at high schools?

ADDITIONAL TOPICS FOR PERSUASIVE ESSAYS

• High school graduates should take a year off before entering college.
• All citizens should be required by law to vote.
• To encourage healthier eating, taxes on soft drinks and junk foods should be higher.
• To conserve fuel and save lives, the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit should be nationwide.
• Students should not be required to take physical education classes.
• Standardized tests do not accurately measure ability.
• Group work in high school should be limited.
• Schools should put tracking devices on students’ ID cards.
• A college education is not necessary.
• Essays should be graded by computer programs.
• Online learning is as good as face-to-face learning
• Reality TV promotes dangerous stereotypes.
• Violent video games make people more violent in real life.
• Women should be allowed to fight on the front lines alongside men.
• Parents should allow their children to play football.
• College football players should be paid.
• It is offensive for sports teams to use Native American names and mascots.
• Rules should be stricter about how coaches treat their players.
• The government should limit the size of sugary drinks.
• Consumers should care about the health and safety of those people who make their clothes and shoes.

                                     C A V E A T
 

• DO NOT USE FIRST PERSON PRONOUNS; e.g.

• DO NOT USE SECOND PERSON PRONOUNS e.g.

• BEGIN FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH WITH THE TRANSITION 

• END THE ESSAY WITH A CONCLUDING   
  PARAGRAPH THAT BEGINS WITH:

• TRANSITIONS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR PERSUASIVE ESSAYS; refer to your two-sided Transitions paper

Classroom Guidelines -  For all classes

Topical Outline of Course

 






Sample Research Paper