50 debate prompts for kids

50 Debate Prompts for Kids

by Patrick Daley and Michael S. Dahlie

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S C H O L A S T I C

BPROFESSIONAL OOKS

50 Debate Prompts for Kids © Daley & Dahlie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the designated reproducible pages from this book for classroom use.

No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the

publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Many of the debates in this book have been adapted from Scholastic Action and Scholastic Scope. If you would like to order

class subscriptions to these magazines, call 1-800-724-6527.

Cover design by Josué Castilleja

Cover illustration by Stacey Schuett

Interior design by Daryl Hair

ISBN 0-439-05179-7

Copyright © 2001 by Patrick Daley and Michael S. Dahlie. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.


Ready, Read, Debate! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Using This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Using Debates to Build Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Graphic Organizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Debate Prompts

1. Should animals be used to test new products? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2. Should cell phones and beepers be allowed in class? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3. In disasters like the sinking of the Titanic,who should be saved first? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

4. Should beaches have rules? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

5. Should people be allowed to go barefoot anywhere they want? . . . . . . 19

6. Should gun makers pay the cost of gun violence? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

7. Should people lose their jobs if it helps the environment? . . . . . . . . . . 21

8. Should children be allowed to enter beauty pageants? . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

9. Should student athletes have to get good grades to play sports? . . . . . . 23

10. Should coats made with dog fur be against the law? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

11. Should boxing be banned? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

12. Do police belong in schools? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

13. Should hunting be banned as a sport? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

14. Should students get paid for attending school? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

15. If you do the crime, should your parents do the time? . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

16. Should teen criminals be locked up in adult prisons? . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

17. Should you change the way you dress because of what other people might think? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

18. Should businesses be forced to deliver to every neighborhood? . . . . . . 32

19. Should the government rate music? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

20. Are teen juries a good idea? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

21. Is space exploration worth the money we spend on it? . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Table of Contents


Table of Contents (continued)

22. If you find $100, is it yours to keep? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

23. Some malls in America have banned teens. Is this fair? . . . . . . . . . . . 37

24. If you see someone cheating on a test, should you tell? . . . . . . . . . . . 38

25. Are teen curfews a good thing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

26. Is year-round school a good idea? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

27. Should skateboarding be banned in public places? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

28. Should Olympic athletes be tested for drugs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

29. Should sports teams drop Native American names? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

30. Should celebrities be responsible for the products they endorse? . . . . . . 44

31. Should schools have dress codes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

32. Should celebrities speak out on political issues? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

33. Should kids have to address teachers as Ma’am and Sir? . . . . . . . . . . 47

34. Should laws be stricter for teenage drivers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

35. Should the paparazzi be banned? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

36. Do teens have too much to do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

37. If you find a historical treasure, does it belong to you? . . . . . . . . . . . 51

38. Should surveillance cameras be used in schools? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

39. Should moshing be allowed at concerts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

40. Should school newspapers be censored? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

41. Should paddling be used to punish students? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

42. Would you give up certain luxuries to save the environment? . . . . . . . 56

43. Should students have to do volunteer work to graduate? . . . . . . . . . . 57

44. Should schools named for slave owners be renamed? . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

45. Should doctors transplant pigs’ organs into human bodies? . . . . . . . . 59

46. Should male and female training in the military be separate? . . . . . . . 60

47. Should girls have their own schools? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

48. Should kids learn riflery in schools? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

49. Should the United States be the world’s police force? . . . . . . . . . . . 63

50. Should teens have their own credit cards? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64


5

Not an ArgumentUnfortunately, many of us confuse debating with arguing. And no wonder! Our mostpublic displays of debate—political debates—are rarely an exchange of ideas for thepurpose of refining one’s thinking. Ideally, debating is an open-minded, intelligent wayto explore a world filled with diverse viewpoints.

In the classroom, you can best instruct about this type of debate by regularly modelingit, making sure to demonstrate your willingness to change your opinions as you gathernew information. For a simple debate exercise, you can complete the five-step process inminutes. A more elaborate or complex debate may extend for weeks.

Debating teaches students how to investigate new ideas and develop criticalthinking skills, and opens their minds to different viewpoints.

Ready, Read, Debate!

Using Debates in the ClassroomOnce considered the stuff of elite high schools, debates are finding their way into class-rooms at all grade levels. And for good reason. The debating process teaches studentshow to investigate new ideas, helps them develop critical thinking skills, and opens theirminds to different viewpoints.

Basically, when working with students, there are five steps to the debating processthat you will want to reinforce and model. Those steps are as follows:

Form Form an initial opinion

Defend Defend the position in a debate

Refine Refine opinion through knowledge gained in the debate

Explore Explore all sides of an issue

Gather Gather information


6

Of course in this book you will find many debates which will spark new ideas and chal-lenge existing viewpoints. But before you even consult the pages in this book, you canhelp students better prepare for debating just by turning to the books they are reading . . .or have read long ago.

As a warm-up, bring out the children’s classic, Make Way for Ducklings. (Yes, even yoursophisticated middle-schoolers will see the debating value of this picture book when youare finished.) Read the book aloud to students to refresh their memory of the tale. Thenintroduce the debate question, “Should Mike have stopped the traffic to let the ducklingscross the street?”

Instead of having students immediately vote yes or no, focus on exploring the differ-ent sides of this question. (NOTE: It is extremely important for you to show that you arealways more interested in the process of forming an opinion than you are in the opinionitself.) Why might someone say that Mike was right? Why might others think he waswrong? Have students revisit the story to seek further information and clarification. Werethere stop signs or traffic lights on the street? How fast were the cars going? Were there,in fact, many cars on the street?

Point out to students that they can look to most of the books they are reading indepen-dently for good debate questions. And by the middle grades, students are capable of tak-ing each step to a deeper level.

Use as an example the book Spirit Quest by Susan Sharpe. In this book, a youngNative American boy discovers more about his rich ancestry. Within the book thereare tons of debatable issues. But a real-world debate topic (which is found later in thisbook) is “Should sports teams drop Native American names?” This debate takes on awhole new significance when viewed through the eyes of William—the protagonist inSpirit Quest.

The Reading Connection

Just ImagineCritical thinking, thoughtful discussion, and informed, flexible opinions. What agreat process to teach students. What a great literacy skill to give our future community leaders!


7

Whole-Class DiscussionYou may simply pass out a debate and ask students to read the debate issue—bothsides—and then discuss in class. However, for a richer experience you may want to preview the debate topic by just reading the title aloud. Then students can fill out thefirst part of the Before and After graphic organizer found on page 13. This will allowstudents to see how their opinion might change as they gather more information.

Shared ReadingRemember that you, the teacher, are the most valuable resource for modeling how onegoes about forming an opinion. To best do this, pass out a copy of a debate to each student. As you read the debate to the students, use several “think alouds” to show howyour opinion is forming. Interjecting comments such as “Oh, I never thought of that.” Or“That’s something I never thought of before.” This shows that you are an active,engaged reader.

Independent and/or Paired ReadingThere are times when you may want your students to work on the debates independent-ly. This option allows students to practice their opinion-forming skills and strategiesfrom time to time. In paired readings students can work together (in pairs) to help eachother through the opinion-forming process. In either case, you may wish to have themexpress their points of view in one or more of the following ways:

• Discussion: Tell students to be prepared to share their opinion about the topic.

• Writing: Debates naturally act as prompts for students to craft a written point of view.Encourage students to clearly identify the reasons that have helped them form theirown opinion.

• Consider Other Viewpoints: A higher-order thinking response occurs when studentsstate the opinion of someone else—not their own. For example, encourage students tothink about what the opinion of the concert organizer might be regarding moshing, orwhat the emergency room doctor’s opinion might be regarding the mandatory skate-board helmet laws.

• Finding More Information: Some debates will naturally lend themselves to furtherresearch. Assign some debate topics with this task in mind.

There are many ways that you can use the debates in this book. Students canread them independently, or you can use them for a whole-class discussion or asshared reading. Here are a few suggestions:

Using This Book


8

DebatePrompt

Vocabulary Words Definition

Use this grid to pre-teach difficult words or to follow up on difficult words afterthe debate has been discussed in class.You may also want to assign these words inconjunction with the Learning New Words graphic organizer found on page 12.

Using Debates to Build Vocabulary

Should animals beused to test newproducts?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Should cell phonesand beepers beallowed in class?

In disasters like the sinking of theTitanic, who shouldbe saved first?

Should beacheshave rules?

Should people beallowed to go barefoot anywherethey want?

advocate (n.) someone who strongly supports a causeethical believing in and sticking to a value system of right and wrongvaccine a medicine that protects people from disease

ban to not allow somethingcommunicate to express one’s thoughts through talking, writing, etc.device (n.) a machine or piece of equipment designed for a specific purpose

indestructible something that cannot be destroyedsurvive to live through a dangerous eventvoyage a long journey, typically over a sea or ocean

dominate to control by forceinjure to hurt oneself or anotherruin to destroy or spoil

promote to spread the word; to encourage others to join insole the underside of the footviolate to break or disregard

misuse to use incorrectlysue to use legal means to take action against another person or companyviolence acts that are physically harmful

consequence the result of an actionenvironment the land, air, and water within a given areaextinct when all of a particular type of animal or plant dies out

contestant a person who takes part in a contestorganizer a person who runs or manages a groupparticipate to take part in

coast to make it through a situation with little troubledespite regardless ofstruggle to have trouble completing a task or goal

companion a friendcoyote a kind of wild dog that lives in the woodsloyal to stay true or faithful to someone or something

endurance the ability to make it through stressful situations—either mental orphysical

paralysis the loss of the ability to move or feel part or all of one’s bodyspectacular fascinating and captivating

Should gun makerspay the cost of gunviolence?

Should people losetheir jobs if it helpsthe environment?

Should children beallowed to enterbeauty pageants?

Should student athletes have to getgood grades to playsports?

Should coats madewith dog fur beagainst the law?

Should boxing bebanned?


9

DebatePrompt


12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

Do police belong in schools?

Should hunting bebanned as a sport?

Should students get paid for attending school?

If you do the crime,should your parentsdo the time?

Should teen crimi-nals be locked upin adult prisons?

Should you changethe way you dressbecause of whatother people mightthink?

Should businessesbe forced to deliverto every neighbor-hood?

Should the govern-ment rate music?

Are teen juries agood idea?

Is space explo-ration worth themoney we spendon it?

If you find $100, isit yours to keep?

Some malls inAmerica havebanned teens. Isthis fair?

If you see someonecheating on a test,should you tell?

beat (n.) the area a police officer is responsible forcontroversy an argument or disputerowdy wild behavior

endangered on its way to becoming extinctinhumane cruel and brutaltradition something that is handed down from one generation to the next

dedication willingness to spend time and energy on a given projectmotivation the reason or reasons that cause you to do somethingsweatshops factories where workers are treated inhumanely

contribute to add topartially in part, not completelysentenced ordered by a judge to serve jail time or community service

commit to do; to take part inincrease to make greater, to make more likely to happenreform to change for the better

conference a meetingconform to try to fit into accepted standardsshallow lacking depth; superficial

crave to have a strong desire fordiscriminate to treat someone unfairly based on unrelated factorsillegal against the law

censor to block outregulate to controlsuitable appropriate; correct for the situation

accused (n.) defendant in a legal casejury box the area where jurors sit during a trialjustice the system of laws in a community

astronaut a person who travels in outer spaceexplore to investigateNASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

convinced believed stronglydecent goodwad a stack; a bundle

accompany to go withintimidate to scareprivilege honor

benefit (v.) to receive help frombetray to be disloyalconsider to think about


10

DebatePrompt


Are teen curfews agood thing?

Is year-round schoola good idea?

Should skateboard-ing be banned inpublic places?

Should Olympic athletes be tested for drugs?

Should sportsteams drop NativeAmerican names?

Should celebritiesbe responsible forthe products theyendorse?

Should schoolshave dress codes?

Should celebritiesspeak out on political issues?

Should kids haveto address teachersas Ma’am and Sir?

Should laws bestricter for teenagedrivers?

Should thepaparazzi bebanned?

Do teens have toomuch to do?

If you find a historical treasure,does it belong toyou?

cruise to roam aroundfocus to concentrate oninstitute (v.) to put into place

alternate (v.) to take turnsboost to improvesession period when schools are open

disrupt to interruptnecessary neededpedestrians people who travel on foot

establish to put into placerandom to not follow a patternsacrifice to give up something you really want

enthusiastic to be very excited aboutoffensive insultinguphold to maintain

decision a judgment or conclusionendorse to promoteexploit to take advantage of

dilemma a choice between two equal optionshinder to preventmandatory required

influence to effectobliged required by a sense of dutytake a stand to express an opinion in a public format

counteract to work againstformal properinstill to bring about

gradually slowlyrestrict to limittransport to carry from one location to another

aggressive strong-willedannoying something or someone that bothers or disturbsaspect one feature of a given situation

priority something that is more important than other thingsshelter to protectsufficient enough

artifact an object of historical interestdebt money owedsunken dropped to the bottom of the ocean or other body of water

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.


11

DebatePrompt


Should surveillancecameras be used inschools?

Should moshing beallowed at concerts?

Should school news-papers be censored?

Should paddling beused to punish stu-dents?

Would you give upcertain luxuries tosave the environ-ment?

Should studentshave to do volunteerwork to graduate?

Should schoolsnamed for slaveowners berenamed?

Should doctorstransplant pigs’organs into humanbodies?

Should male andfemale training inthe military be separate?

Should girls havetheir own schools?

Should kids learnriflery in schools?

Should the UnitedStates be theworld’s policeforce?

Should teens havetheir own creditcards?

install to put in placereduce to lowersurveillance to watch carefully over a wide area

common to occur oftenpacked filled to capacityrisky potentially dangerous

conclusive provides information that allows a conclusion to be madeinconsistent to not follow along; to be contrary tosupervise to oversee

esteem to respect and admireestimate to approximate based on given informationsevere harsh

continuously without interruptionpessimistic negativerecycle use again

compassion feelings of sympathyinvolve to take part inrequire to make necessary

deserve to earn somethinghonor to respectsurgeon a doctor who performs operations in a hospital

compatible to work well with something or someonefunction to work properlytemporarily for a short time

appoint to name someone to a position or groupexclude to keep separatepropose to suggest

impression a taste of; a suggestionopponent someone on the opposite side or team in a debate or argumentopportunity a chance to do something

bear (v.) to carry somethingbeef up to strengthen; to improvemixed message a message with two or more conflicting points

abandon to leave or give up on someone or somethinghorrifying completely frighteningunthinkable out of the realm of possibility

consumer a person who buys thingsconvenience ease of usereplace to get another

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.


12

You may come across some new words as you read this debate. Put each newword in the graphic organizer below and fill in the information for each word.(Be sure to include all words you see in boldface type.)

Learning New WordsName Date

Debate Topic:

Word Sentence My Definition


13

Sometimes people change their minds—or opinions. Does this ever happen toyou, too? Use the graphic organizer below to keep track of how your opinioneither changes or stays the same. Here’s what you do:

1. Read the Debate Topic title.Then fill in Part 1: Before.2.When you have finished reading the debate, fill in Part 2: After.3. In Part 3:Tell Why, explain your thinking.

Before and AfterName Date

Debate Topic:

Before reading this debate, these are mythoughts and opinions about the topic:

Part 1:Before

Part 2:After

Part 3:Tell Why

After reading this debate, this is how myopinion has gotten stronger:

After reading this debate, this is how myopinion has changed:

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________


14

In most debate issues, you will see reasons for or against the topic. As you readthe debate, keep track of both sides by filling in the graphic organizer below.

Looking at Both SidesName Date

Debate Topic:

For/Yes Against/No


ave you ever wondered how a companyknows that its shampoo won’t burn youreyes? Or make your scalp break out in arash? Companies test their products beforethey sell them. And a lot of these products aretested on animals first.

Shampoo isn’t the only thing tested onanimals. Many medicines are also tested onanimals. Each year, American researchers usemore than 20 million mice, monkeys, rabbits,and other animals in scientific tests. These testshelp make sure that products are safe. They

also help researchers find cures for diseases.But many animals suffer or die during the

tests. Animal-rights advocates say this iswrong. One group, called PETA (People forthe Ethical Treatment of Animals), says thatanimals have feelings—just like people. Theyget hungry and thirsty. They feel fear and pain.

PETA thinks that all testing on animalsshould stop. Others feel that it’s the only wayto fight disease and make safe products.

What do you think? Should animals be usedto test new products?

Hardly anyone dies ofsmallpox, polio, or rabiesanymore. Why? Vaccines

helped wipe them out. And withoutanimal testing, we wouldn’t havevaccines. We need animal testing to findvaccines and to let scientists try outnew medical techniques, such as hearttransplants. Yes, it does hurt someanimals, but it saves thousands of humanlives. And that’s really important.

Debate Prompt

Should animals be used to test new products?

1

Animals have feelings,just like humans. It’swrong when they die to

test our products—especially those thathave no real medical purpose.Companies like The Body Shop aredeveloping new products without animaltesting. Doctors and researchers shouldstop all animal testing now. It’s not fairto put animals’ lives at risk for humans.

Scientists perform tests on animals every day. Some people think the tests arecruel and painful. What do you think?

Write Now: What is your point of view? Write a letter to the editor of your localnewspaper voicing your opinion.

H

Your Turn!


ne of the problems with cell phones andbeepers is that they can be a major source ofdistraction. There’s nothing worse thansomeone’s cell phone ringing in the middle ofsomething important. And if the peopleactually start talking, it’s even worse. This iswhy many teachers are trying to ban cellphones and pagers from school. They claimthe devices disrupt their classrooms andtotally blow their students’ concentration.Worse, if they go off during a test, they canreally hurt someone’s grade.

But lots of people disagree. They say kidsneed pagers and cell phones. Some kids haveto keep in touch with parents and work.Rather than banning beepers and cell phones,some say that school officials should justmake kids use them responsibly.

What do you think? Should cell phones andbeepers be allowed in class?

Banning cell phones istotally unfair! Kids don’thave phones and pagers for

fun. They need them. They have to beable to communicate with their parentsand their employers—especially if there’san emergency. Sure, kids should use theirphones and beepers responsibly. But that’sdifferent from banning them altogether.Cell phones and pagers are here to stay.Kids might as well learn to use themresponsibly while they’re in school.

Debate Prompt

Should cell phones and beepers be allowed in class?

2

What does a kid need acell phone for? If there’s anemergency, parents can

always call the principal. And students canuse a pay phone to keep in touch withtheir employers.Or they can keep a cellphone in their locker and check messagesbetween classes.The fact is, cell phonesand beepers are really just a way ofkeeping in touch with friends and dates.There are too many distractions in kids’lives already.They don’t need another one.

Some teachers say cell phones and pagers should be banned from school. Otherpeople say kids need them.What do you think?

Talk About It: What is the strongest argument for allowing cell phones andbeepers in class? What’s the strongest argument against them?

O

Your Turn!

16 50 Debate Prompts for Kids © Daley & Dahlie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

hen the Titanic was built, everyone said itwas indestructible. But on the night of April14, 1912, on its first voyage from England toNew York, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.Of the 2,224 people aboard, only about 700survived.

Many of the people who survived werewomen and children. This was because malepassengers decided that women and childrenshould get into the lifeboats first. There weremany reasons for this. First, men believed thatwomen and children were weaker, and needed

to be helped. Second, they believed that thelives of women and children were morevaluable. Finally, many men thought placingwomen and children first was simply the rightand proper thing to do. “Women and childrenfirst” is how they did everything.

Does this make sense? What if the Titanicsank today? Do you think men should do thesame thing?

It’s a fact—women andchildren are more valuableto society than men.

Women are the ones who have children.And children are the ones who keep afamily going. So “women and childrenfirst” isn’t just being nice. It makessense. If the Titanic disaster were tohappen today, men should let womenand children go first.

Debate Prompt

In disasters like the sinking of theTitanic, who should be saved first?

3

The whole idea of“women and childrenfirst” is an insult. In today’s

world, everyone is equal. Women arejust as strong as men—they don’t needmen to save them. Women can savethemselves. Maybe children should gofirst. But if the Titanic disaster happenedtoday, women and men should get in thelifeboats together.

Some people say that, in emergencies, women and children should be saved first.Do you agree with this?

Write Now: Do you think “women and children first” is a good idea? Why or why not?

W

Your Turn!


o doubt about it, summer is meant forkicking back and having fun. And there’s nobetter place to chill out on a hot summer’s daythan the beach. In some parts of America,though, the beach is becoming more and morelike school. No, there aren’t any classes. Butthere are definitely a lot of rules.

On some beaches, for instance, there’sabsolutely no ball playing or boom boxes. Onothers you can’t have dogs or fly a kite. Andat several beaches in California, you’re notallowed to throw a Frisbee or use a beach

umbrella bigger than six feet around. If youhave an illegal umbrella, you get a ticket.

Some people think this is ridiculous. Theysay the beach should be a place to get awayfrom the rules and regulations of everydaylife. Others say it’s about time beaches hadsome restrictions. They say that with all theloud music and objects hurtling through theair, it’s impossible to relax and have fun.

What do you think? Should beaches haverules?

Rules are a good idea.Some beaches are socrazy it’s impossible to

show up without getting injured. Andon the quieter beaches, it just takes acouple of guys with a football to ruineveryone’s good time. Rules givelifeguards more power to make beachesfun for everyone. Without rules, theloudest and most obnoxious peoplewould always dominate the beach.

Debate Prompt

Should beaches have rules?

4

The beach is a place toplay, hang out, and havefun. It is one of the last

places in this country where you can dowhatever you want without anyonehassling you. Making a lot of rules is justanother way to make life morecomplicated. The beach should be easy,fun, and rule-free. If people want peaceand quiet they should stay in bed!

Some people say that beaches should have rules. Others say that rules ruinbeaches.What do you think?

Write Now: Make a poster that lists rules you think a beach should have.

N

Your Turn!


verybody likes to go barefoot, right?There’s nothing better than feeling cool grassor smooth pebbles between your toes. Evenin cities, some people like it so much they gobarefoot all the time, and this trend is pickingup steam. There’s even a club to promotegoing barefoot. It’s called the “Dirty SoleSociety” and has over six hundred members.People in this club do everything withoutshoes. They shop, work, and even go out toeat barefoot.

But certain people aren’t so happy about

this trend. Lots of restaurant owners, forinstance, place signs on their doors sayingshoes are required. They say that bare feetsmell bad and “turn off” other customers.

Other people say going barefoot isdangerous. They say barefooters can beseriously injured if they step on glass, nails,or other sharp objects. They also say bare feetspread disease.

What do you think? Should people beallowed to go barefoot wherever they want?

Barefoot people shouldbe protected! This is afree country and if people

want to be shoeless, no one should stopthem.The idea that being barefoot isunhealthy is just a myth. And goingbarefoot is no more dangerous thananything else. Maybe the governmentought to pick up all that broken glassrather than harass barefoot people.Asfor people who think it’s disgusting, theyneed to lighten up!

Debate Prompt

Should people be allowed to gobarefoot anywhere they want?

5

Feet are dirty and theystink. If people want to gobarefoot, fine. But they

should do it in their own homes and ontheir own property and leave the rest ofus alone. Feet-people say their rights arebeing violated with these laws. Butwhat about the right of people not tosee or smell people’s disgusting feet?What good is the law if it doesn’t atleast protect us from that?

Some people think that going barefoot should be banned in certain places. Othersthink that being barefoot should always be allowed.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: Make a list of three reasons why someone would want to gobarefoot anywhere they want. Make another list of three reasons why someone wouldnot want to.

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Your Turn!


t’s against the law to make unsafe productsin the United States. You can’t build cars withbad brakes. You can’t sell food that will makepeople sick. And you can’t make toys that aredangerous to kids. So what about guns? Gunskill people every day. Should they be considered an unsafe product? Should thegun makers be punished?

Many states and cities have decided thatguns are unsafe. And they are suing thecompanies that make them. They say that agun is a product that leads to crime, injury,

and death. And they’re trying to get gunmakers to pay for the harm these weaponshave caused.

But gun makers say that guns are dangerousonly if people misuse them. They claim thatgun makers shouldn’t be held responsible forthe actions of criminals.

What do you think? Should gun makers beheld responsible for the results of gunviolence?

Gun violence is a bigproblem in this country.Someone needs to take

responsibility. Gun makers make lots ofmoney from a product that leads toterrible violence. They should foot thebill to fix the problem. Gun makersshould be forced to pay for police andhospitals. And they should be requiredto pay for the cost of installing safetylocks on all their guns.

Debate Prompt

Should gun makers pay the cost of gun violence?

6

People should beresponsible for their ownactions. Gun makers have

nothing to do with how guns are used. Ifcriminals misuse a gun, it’s their fault—not the gun maker’s. Besides, things likecars can be dangerous too. But no onewants to ban them. And no one wouldsue a car company if they were runover. Why should it be different for gunmakers?

Some people say that gun makers should be held responsible for gun violence.Other people say this is unfair. What do you think?

Write Now: Imagine that you have lost a brother or sister to gun violence. Write aletter to your state senator explaining your point of view on this debate.

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Your Turn!


hat would you think if someone told youthat an animal or a bird was about to becomeextinct? You’d want someone to do some-thing about it, right? But what would youthink if they told you that saving this animalmight cost your parents their jobs? Toughquestion? Unfortunately, many communitiesacross the United States struggle with thisproblem every day.

Many types of animals are in danger ofbecoming extinct. Saving them sometimesmeans closing the businesses that threaten

them. Or it means that new businesses can’tbe built on lands that house threatenedanimals. And this leads to people losing jobs.

Environmentalists don’t want to see peopleout of work. But they also say that nature hasto be protected. Other people say that it’s timeto put human beings first. They say they don’twant to destroy the environment, but theythink that jobs are more important thananimals.

What do you think? Are endangered speciesmore important than jobs?

Endangered speciesmust be our first priority.It’s unfortunate when

people lose their jobs, but it’s worsewhen animal species become extinct.The American wilderness is a nationaltreasure. It belongs to everyone. And it would be sad to lose any part of it.More important, the planet’senvironment is very delicate. Losing asingle kind of animal could have terribleconsequences.

Debate Prompt

Should people lose their jobs if it helps the environment?

7

It’s time to put peoplefirst! People shouldn’tlose their jobs because of

animals. Sure, we should protect theenvironment as best we can. But savingthe environment should not put peopleout of work. Anyway, environmentalistsalways exaggerate. Lots of timesendangered species are just types ofbugs or weeds. It’s bad enough to thinkthat an endangered owl might costpeople their jobs. But bugs and weeds?

Of course the environment is important, but some say jobs are more important.What do you think?

Find Out More: Make a list of jobs that may harm certain parts of theenvironment.

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Your Turn!


here’s a beauty pageant in town and afriend convinces you to go. You think beautypageants are boring. But you go anyway,because you want to see what the big deal is.When you arrive at the contest, however,you’re shocked because you discover that thecontestants are only six years old.

Every year, over 100,000 girls under theage of twelve compete in beauty pageants inthe United States. Organizers of thesepageants say they teach young girls importantlessons that will help them later in life. They

say the girls learn about hard work, discipline,and self-confidence.

Other people say that children should notbe put through the stress of beauty pageants.They say that six-year-olds should not have toworry about things like self-discipline orbeing the most beautiful little girl.

What do you think? Should children bebeauty queens?

People who want tostop these pageantsshould lighten up.

Participating in beauty pageants is justlike playing Little League. Beauty pageantscan teach a girl how to be self-confidentand a good sport. More important,they’re lots of fun. Six-year-olds lovewearing glamorous dresses and fancyhair styles. And their parents and familylove to see them all dressed up.

Debate Prompt

Should children be allowed to enter beauty pageants?

8

All beauty pageants areridiculous, but thesepageants are the worst.

Teaching girls to compete over theirlooks is wrong, especially when they’reso young. Little girls should learn to feelconfident about their abilities, not theirlooks. And who cares if a six-year-oldlearns about discipline. Six-year-old girlsshould be having fun, not working.Beauty pageants are not just a waste oftime. They’re harmful!

Some people think girls should be in their teens before entering beauty pageants.Others think it’s okay for these girls to be younger. What do you think?

Talk About It: What is the minimum age someone should be to enter a beautypageant? Why?

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Your Turn!


icture this: A good friend of yours hasalways struggled in school. He’s a great guy.But he has a hard time doing well on tests.Despite his troubles in school, however, yourfriend has a few things going for him. Hehappens to be the very best hockey goalie inthe state. In fact, he’s so good, there’s achance he’ll go pro. There’s just one thing. Inthe middle of his best season ever, when he’sbreaking every record in the book, the schoolboard passes a new rule. They say that if youdon’t have at least a “C” average, you can’t

play sports. Your friend’s average is a “D.”Suddenly, he’s off the team. Is this fair?

Some school boards say it is and havealready passed rules like this. They say thatgrades must come first. Others disagree. Theysay that sports are healthy, positive activitiesthat should not be linked to grades.

What do you think? Should athletes withbad grades be kicked off the “team”?

School is about learning.Everything else shouldcome second. It’s wrong

that kids can coast through schoolwithout learning much. This rule willmake kids work harder to get a goodeducation. Anyway, it’s hard to becomea professional athlete. People needsomething to fall back on. And even ifsomeone does go pro, they’ll still needto know how to read and do math.

Debate Prompt

Should student athletes have toget good grades to play sports?

9

Sports and grades havenothing to do with eachother. If a kid can become

a great athlete, nothing should stand inthe way. And even if some kids have nochance of going pro, they shouldn’t bepunished for their grades. Think ofeverything you learn from sports:teamwork, fast thinking, discipline, andother skills. There are a lot of things youneed to know to survive in the world, andyou can’t learn them all from books.

Some say athletes should have at least a “C” average to play sports. Others saythis is too strict.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: Imagine you are the star football player at your school. Howwould you feel if you were kept out of the game until your grades improved?

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Your Turn!


et’s say you’re at a department store look-ing for a new winter coat. You see lots ofthings you like. But there’s one coat that youhave to have. After a long talk with yourmother, she agrees to help you buy it. You’rethrilled! There’s only one problem. When youget home, you discover that the coat’s reallywarm and snuggly collar is made out of dogfur. What do you do?

Recently lots of people have faced thissituation. One company accidentally soldcoats with dog-fur collars. They thought the

fur collars came from coyotes. But they werewrong. When they found out, they quicklystopped selling the coats and gave peopletheir money back. They didn’t have to dothis—it isn’t against the law to sell coatsmade from dogs. But some people think itshould be.

What do you think? Should dog-fur coatsbe against the law?

Of course it should beagainst the law. A dog isnot a wild animal. A dog is

a pet. In many homes, dogs are likemembers of the family. They make goodcompanions, and they are loyal tohumans. They should be treated withrespect. Plus, the way the dogs arekilled is horrible. They are suffocated ordrowned. Wearing dog fur is totallywrong!

Debate Prompt

Should coats made with dog fur be against the law?

10

What’s the differencebetween a dog and anyother animal? People wear

coats made from foxes.They wearsnakeskin boots. And people eat allsorts of animals.Why not use a dog tomake a coat? It’s ridiculous to say it’sokay to kill one animal and not another.Anyway, a lot of dog fur comes fromChina, where most dogs aren’t pets.

Some people say making coats from dog fur is cruel. Others say dog fur is justlike any other fur.What do you think?

Write About It: Write an e-mail message to your senator explaining either why dogfur coats should be outlawed or why they should be kept legal.

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Your Turn!


oxing is a one-of-a-kind sport. It’s an excit-ing, physically challenging test ofendurance, and a spectacular one-on-onecompetition. Boxing is also a major money-maker. Some boxers make $10 million forjust one fight. And television stations andarena owners make even more. Why? Lots ofpeople love boxing, and they’re willing topay big money to see it.

But recently, some people have tried tomake boxing illegal. They say that boxing ismuch too dangerous and that it leads to

terrible injuries like brain damage andparalysis. They also say boxing desensitizes people to violence by turningfighting into a sport.

But other people say that the governmentshould not make boxing illegal. They say thatif two people want to box, then no one shouldbe able to stand in their way.

What do you think? Should boxing bebanned?

Ban boxing for good! It’s just too dangerous.Ask Evander Holyfield.

Mike Tyson bit off a piece of his ear in aboxing match. And what about GeraldMcClellan? This former boxing champwas beaten into a coma at the age oftwenty-seven. Now he’s brain-damagedand blind. Dog fights and rooster fightsare illegal in America. It’s about time westop human fights too!

Debate Prompt

Should boxing be banned?

11

Boxing may be risky, butthis is a free country. Ifpeople want to step into a

boxing ring, no one should stop them.Besides, more people are hurt or killedevery year in other sports, includingfootball and auto racing. No one’s tryingto ban those sports. If you don’t likeboxing, don’t watch it. But don’t ban it.

Some people say boxing is too dangerous. Others say it is no different from anyother sport.What do you think?

Find Out More: Take a poll of five people. Are they for or against a boxing ban?

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Your Turn!


olice officers around the country have anew beat. It’s called public school. Countiesin more than forty states now have policeofficers patrolling their school grounds. It’sone of the many ways schools are trying tostop violence. But the presence of cops inschools is causing controversy.

People in favor of police officers in schoolssay the cops prevent violence. A kid is lesslikely to start a fight if a police officer isthere. And if there’s an emergency, there issomeone there who is trained to handle it.

Also, people think having a police officeraround makes kids feel safer.

But other people think having cops inschool is a terrible idea. They say it will makekids feel like school is a dangerous place.They also claim that the police officers willmake kids feel like they are in prison.

What do you think? Should we have cops inour schools?

Public schools aren’twhat they used to be.There’s a lot of violence

now. If having police officers in theschools puts an end to that, then theyshould be in every school. Besides,we’ve been told our whole lives thatpolice officers are our friends. Whyshouldn’t they “be our friends” in schoolas well?

Debate Prompt

Do police belong in schools?

12

Are you kidding? Justbecause a few schoolhallways are a little rowdy

at times, it doesn’t mean we need policeguarding the place. Police makestudents feel uncomfortable, too.School is a place to grow and learn howto think. You don’t need armed guardsto help you do that.

Trouble in schools? Some say that police are the answer.What do you think?

Talk About It: Would you feel safer if there were police in your school? Why or whynot? What do your friends think?

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Your Turn!


very year about 14 million Americans gohunting. They shoot at bear, moose, prairiedogs, and even pigeons. Some of these animals become food. Some are stuffed fortrophies. Others are sold for their skins.

In recent years, however, hunters have beenthe ones under attack. Hunting seasons havebeen shortened. Land has been placed off-limits for hunters. And certain animals havebeen declared endangered, which means noone is allowed to kill them. Why? Manypeople say hunting is cruel and inhumane.

These people also say that hunting destroysthe environment.

Hunters say that they’re just doing whatpeople have always done. They say hunting isan American tradition and that no one has theright to tell them to stop. Many hunters alsosay they need to hunt because it provides foodfor their families.

What do you think? Should hunting bebanned?

Very few people huntbecause they need to feedtheir families. Today,

people don’t even need to eat meat atall. Besides, hunters often shoot atanimals that they aren’t allowed to hunt.In Colorado, hunters are allowed toshoot at elk, but not moose. But theykeep shooting the moose anyway. Itwould be better if they weren’t allowedto hunt at all.

Debate Prompt

Should hunting be banned as a sport?

13

Why is a hunter’s bulletany more cruel than amountain lion’s fang?

Every animal survives by eating livingthings, whether it’s plants or animals.Besides, in some states, people have tohunt and store food for the winter.There’s a reason why the moose is themost hunted of all animals in the stateof Alaska. One moose can supply morethan five hundred pounds of meat!

Some people think that hunting should be banned. Other people disagree.Whatdo you think?

Find Out More: Research what kinds of animals are hunted in your state. Whenare they hunted and for how long?

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Your Turn!


t’s 7:00 A.M. and you’re not sure if you’rewell enough to go to school. You’re not quitesick, but you think you might have a cold.Maybe just a little cold. Maybe only the snif-fles. So you tell your mom that you shoulddefinitely stay home—just to play it safe. Thenext thing you know, she’s handing you yourlunch and pushing you out the door.

Sound familiar? It’s not like this foreveryone. In some schools across the UnitedStates, kids will do anything to not miss asingle day of school. And there’s a reason for

this dedication. At their schools they get paidfor good attendance!

Many people are trying to stop this. Theysay kids shouldn’t be paid for attendingschool. They say this is nothing more thanbribery. Others say that if getting kids to stayin school is so important, then paying them isan idea that could work.

What do you think? Should kids be paid forgood attendance?

For some students,school is really hard.Every day is a challenge.

We need to do everything we can tokeep them in school. Paying them canprevent them from dropping out. Also,good attendance leads to good grades.That’s worth whatever it costs. If weneed to pay kids to do better in school,we should. It will be worth it in the end.

Debate Prompt

Should students get paid for attending school?

14

Is this a joke? Studentsshould not be bribed toattend school! There are

tons of kids around the world who areworking in sweatshops. Give them theeducation that paid kids are too lazy toget on their own. School is a placewhere you learn how to deal with thefuture. If some kids don’t want to takeadvantage of our free system—then tellthem to take a hike.

Some people say we should pay kids for showing up for school. Others say thateducation should be the only motivation for going to school.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: Ask two adults how they feel about this issue. Then ask twokids. How are their opinions similar or different?

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Your Turn!


hen kids do things that are wrong, theirparents normally get angry. But they usuallydon’t get sentenced or fined themselves.Until now! Today, more than 35 states havelaws holding parents legally responsible fortheir children’s actions.

In California, parents can be forced to payup to $25,000 to cover the cost of propertydamage their children cause. In Oregon,parents can be fined up to $1000 or beordered to attend parenting classes if theirkids commit juvenile crimes. Some states are

even cutting welfare payments if theirchildren miss school regularly.

But many people think these policies areterrible. They say parents have someresponsibilities, but that the only person toblame for a crime is a criminal. They also saythat the laws send a bad message to kids—ittells them that they aren’t responsible for theirown actions.

What do you think? When teens commitcrimes, should their parents do the time?

Kids don’t just end upbad. They becomecriminals because no one

has taught them right from wrong. Sure,there are lots of things that affect kids.Schools, friends, society—all of thesecontribute to how a kid behaves. Butno one affects kids’ actions more thanparents. If a kid ends up a criminal, theparents are partially responsible.Andthey should be punished.

Debate Prompt

If you do the crime, should your parents do the time?

15

This is ridiculous! Sure,it’s important for parentsto raise their kids right.

But at a certain point all people have totake responsibility for their own actions.When kids commit crimes, they’reresponsible, not their parents. Anyway,parents don’t always have as muchcontrol as you’d think. Good parents canend up with a bad kid.They shouldn’t bepunished for that. It’s not their fault.

Some say that parents of young criminals should be punished. Others say theirchild’s crime is not their fault.What do you think?

Talk About It: What do you think? Tell why it would be a good rule. Tell why it wouldbe a bad rule.

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Your Turn!


o the crime, do the time!” That’s whatlawmakers around the country are saying toteens who commit violent crimes. Currently,there are about five thousand kids under eighteen behind bars in adult prisons. Andsoon there may be more. Congress wants topass a new law that would send teens asyoung as fourteen to jail with adult criminals.These lawmakers argue that sending teens tojuvenile prisons lets them off easy. They saythat only hard time in adult prisons will con-vince a teen not to commit crimes.

But not everyone wants teen criminals to betried as adults. Many experts say that whatteen criminals need most is a chance to turntheir lives around. They say that adult prisonoffers little chance for a teen to reform. Theyonly make young people more hardened andviolent.

What do you think? Do you think that teensshould be sent to adult prisons?

Kids who do adultcrimes should serve adulttime. Juvenile sentences

are not tough enough for teens whocommit violent crimes like murder.Violent criminals are dangerous andshould be locked up, no matter how oldthey are. To do anything else is not justwrong—it’s dangerous. The law needsto crack down on teen crimes and makeour streets safe from gangs, guns, anddrugs!

Debate Prompt

Should teen criminals be locked up in adult prisons?

16

Kids who commitserious crimes needserious help. They need

to be in rehabilitation or juveniledetention where they can clean up theiract. Locking kids up with adult criminalsonly increases their problems. Theydon’t get the help they need. Worse,adult prisoners will often attack youngpeople in jail. Adult prison is no placefor a kid.

Some say that teens who commit serious crimes should go to adult prisons.Others say that teens need their own detention centers.What do you think?

Write Now: You probably feel strongly about this issue. Share your opinion bywriting a paragraph explaining your point of view.

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Your Turn!


our parents have been complaining aboutthe way you dress. They say you can expressyourself, but that maybe you should tone itdown. Spiky hair is all right, but not all thetime. As for the nose ring—they can live withit, but not at your grandmother’s birthdayparty.

You’re sick of all these fashion rules and tellyour parents that how you dress is no one’sbusiness but yours. You have to be yourself.

A month later, parent-teacher conferencesroll around. You’ve been doing well this

semester, so you’re not sweating it. But whenyou catch your parents heading off to themeetings, you can’t believe your eyes. Yourmother is wearing a red mini-skirt and anenormous blonde wig. Your father’s wearing agross Hawaiian shirt and torn shorts.

You’re furious! You say you’ll be thelaughing stock of the school; they tell youthey’re just being themselves.

What do you say now? Should you changethe way you dress because of what otherpeople might think?

It’s a fact: People judgeyou by the clothes youwear. Sometimes that’s

wrong. But if you’re meeting someonewho doesn’t know you, they don’talways have much to go on. You may bea great person. But if you’re wearing ashirt with a skull on it, someone mightfind that frightening. You don’t alwayshave to conform. But sometimes it’sbest to dress according to the situation.

Debate Prompt

Should you change the way you dressbecause of what other people might think?

17

You should always beyourself. It’s as simple asthat. If people are

shallow enough to judge you by theclothes you wear, that’s their problem,not yours. Anyway, if your family andfriends really love you, they’ll get overwhat might scare them at first. Evengrandparents. Probably half the stuffkids do seems strange to grandparents.But most of the time they manage tolove their grandkids anyway.

Should you wear what you want? Or should you wear what others think youshould wear? What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: What’s your view on this debate? Think about the other sideand defend it.

Y

Your Turn!


magine that you’ve been craving pizza allday. Finally, once you get home, you call tohave one delivered. But the pizza companysays it won’t deliver to your neighborhood.“A driver was robbed last week,” an employeesays. “You’ll have to pick up your pizzahere.”

Okay, so maybe you live in a high-crimearea. But you’d never rob anyone. Is the pizzacompany being unfair? In San Francisco,California, one lawmaker thinks so. NeitherDomino’s nor Mr. Pizzaman would deliver in

her neighborhood. So she took action. Shehelped pass a new law that makes it illegal forbusinesses to deliver to some neighborhoodsbut not others.

Her opponents say this law is unfair. Theysay it’s not Domino’s and Mr. Pizzaman thatare affected by this new law. It’s theiremployees. It’s the drivers who now have torisk their lives just to deliver pizzas

What do you think? Should businesses berequired to deliver to every neighborhood?

If living in a certainneighborhood doesn’tmake you a criminal, why

should delivery services discriminateagainst you? After all, delivery isavailable to those who live in otherneighborhoods. If delivering pizzas is sounsafe, pizza places shouldn’t deliver toanyone. Life is tough enough for goodcitizens who live in areas with highcrime rates. Don’t punish them for it.

Debate Prompt

Should businesses be forced todeliver to every neighborhood?

18

It’s easy for politiciansto talk about fairness.They’re not the ones who

have to deliver pizzas to high-crimeneighborhoods. Across the country,pizza deliverers have been robbed,attacked, and even murdered. Doingyour job shouldn’t mean risking yourlife. Businesses should be able to maketheir own decisions about where theydeliver. A company has the right toprotect its employees.

One politician wants a law that forces businesses to deliver. But is she right or isshe making matters worse?

Consider Both Sides: If you were a delivery person, would you want to drive into ahigh-crime neighborhood? What if you lived in that neighborhood? Would you expectbusinesses to deliver to you?

I

Your Turn!


icture this: Your favorite music groupcomes out with a new record. You’ve heardthat some of the lyrics might not be suitablefor kids, and your parents are pretty strictabout that kind of stuff. After talking it overwith them, however, they decide you can getthe album. But when you go to the store tobuy it, the store manager won’t sell it to you.He says it’s illegal for you to buy it becauseyou’re too young. Your parents say it’s okay.But the government says it isn’t. Who’s right?

Right now, there are no laws regulating the

sale of music to kids. Only music companiesrate albums. And music stores decide forthemselves who to sell them to. But somepeople want the government to start ratingrecords. And they want the government tomake it illegal for young people to buy certainkinds of music.

What do you think? Should the governmentrate the music you listen to?

If record companiesrate their own music, whoknows what they’re going

to say? They’re only interested inmaking a sale. There is no way they aregoing to give an honest review. Anyway,what difference does a label make if itdoesn’t stop a kid from buying a record?Without government regulations, recordstores will sell whatever they can towhoever wants to buy.

Debate Prompt

Should the government rate music?

19

If the government startsrating music, they’re sayingwhat people can and can’t

listen to. That’s censorship and aviolation of the First Amendment! Andif they get away with censoring music,it’s just a matter of time before theycensor television and books. Kids andtheir parents should have the right todecide what music kids listen to.Thegovernment should stay out of it!

Some people say that the government should rate music. Others say ratings hurtfree speech.What do you think?

Talk About It: Poll other students in your class. Have they ever bought CDs thattheir parents might not have wanted them to buy? What happened?

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Your Turn!


icture this: You’re on a field trip to thetown courthouse. While you’re there you getto meet many important people: a judge,lawyers, and even the mayor. Then yourteacher says you’re going to watch a realtrial. But when the trial begins, and the jurywalks into the jury box, you discover that thejury is made up of kids your own age!Surprised? Believe it or not, these trials arehappening all across the country.

Right now, there are more than 200 youthcourts in 25 states. In youth courts, young

people are tried by juries of other youngpeople. The juries can give sentences ofcommunity service. They can alsorecommend that the accused go to counseling.But there is one thing that the teen juries can’tdo—they can’t send kids to jail.

Many people think youth courts are a greatway to involve kids in the justice system.Others say kids are too young to hand out fairsentences.

What do you think? Are youth courts agood idea?

Youth courts work! Thestatistics speak for them-selves: Only 25 percent of

kids sentenced in youth court commitcrimes again. That’s much less than inregular court. Plus, youth courts mayprevent kids from committing crimes inthe first place. Why? No one wants togo on trial in front of their friends. Youthcourt also lets kids see how courts work.By serving on juries, they get a firsthandunderstanding of American justice.

Debate Prompt

Are teen juries a good idea?

20

What? These kids arestill in school. How couldthey know enough to be

on a jury? This has nothing to do withrights. You need experience and wisdomto be in a courtroom. Anyway, what kidis going to take a youth court seriously?Being sentenced by other kids isn’tscary. This is just another way of lettingpeople who commit crimes off easy. Ifthey do a real crime, put them in frontof a real jury.

In courts around the country, kids are judging other kids. Is this a good idea?

Talk About It: If you were a juror on a teen jury, do you think you would be easier orharder on the defendant than a regular judge? Why?

P

Your Turn!


our best friend wants to be an astronaut.She’s really smart and she talks about spaceall the time. One day she tells you that NASAis sending a robot to Mars. She says it costs alot of money. But she also says it’s worth itbecause of the ways it will help science. Youagree. Your friend makes it all sound so excit-ing. But the very next day your schoolannounces that, due to government budgetcuts, it is dropping the school orchestra andfootball team. The principal says the schoolcan’t afford them. How do you feel now?

Every year, NASA spends about 14 billiondollars on space exploration. Many peoplefeel this is a waste. They say this moneyshould be spent on things here on Earth, likehospitals and schools.

Other people think space exploration isworth the money because it creates jobs andcontributes to science.

What do you think? Is space explorationworth the money?

Space exploration isworth every penny. It’snot just a question of

learning about the universe. Spaceexploration creates jobs and improveslives. Many of today’s new products area direct result of space exploration.Space exploration has even led toimportant medical discoveries. Whoknows what else we will find out there?We have to keep exploring space!

Debate Prompt

Is space exploration worth the money we spend on it?

21

Put first things first!There are too manyproblems here on Earth

to worry about what’s in space. Scienceis important. And everyone wants toknow more about the universe. Butwhat do you tell people who don’t haveenough food? When everyone hasenough to eat and can afford to see adoctor, then we can go into space. Untilthen, we should wait.

Some say space exploration costs too much. Others say it’s worth it.What doyou think?

Consider Both Sides: Think of all the things that the government spends moneyon. List three things that are more important than space exploration. List threethings that are less important.

Y

Your Turn!


here’s a citywide bike race coming up andyou’re the best biker around. You’re definitelyfaster than the kids in your neighborhood andprobably faster than the ones in the city.There’s only one problem. You’re bike is oldand starting to fall apart. You’re convincedyou need a new one to win the race.

Then something crazy happens. You’re inthe park one day and you spot something.When you check it out, you discover it’s awad of cash that totals $100. You can’tbelieve it. With what you’ve saved already,

it’s enough to help you buy a decent bike.Your troubles are over! Or so you think.

Pretty soon you start to feel guilty. Youthink maybe you should tell someone. Andyou imagine how unhappy the person wholost the money must be. You really want anew bike. But could you live with yourself ifyou kept the money?

What would you do? Would you try to givethe money back?

Giving the money backis the only thing to do.Everyone could use extra

cash. And it would be tempting to keepit. But if it’s not yours, you should turnit over to the police. Anyway, everyonewould want to know where the moneycame from. You’d have to explainsooner or later, and then some peoplemight be disappointed in your decision.

Debate Prompt

If you find $100, is it yours to keep?

22

Are you kidding? Takethe money and run!Anyone irresponsible

enough to lose all that money doesn’tdeserve it. Or they’re so rich, they don’tcare. This is a dog-eat-dog world.Youhave to take what you can get. Sure it’ssad that someone lost all that money.But it would be just as sad if you had togive it back. The best thing to do is keepquiet and enjoy your good luck.

Some people would keep the money. Others would try to give it back.Whatwould you do?

Consider Both Sides: What if you lost money? Would you want someone to returnthe money? Would you understand if someone did not want to return it?

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Your Turn!


t’s Friday night and you’re going to a birth-day party. But you don’t have a present yet,so you and a friend make a quick trip to themall. But when you arrive, a security guardtells you to leave. You tell him you haven’tdone anything wrong, but it doesn’t matter.The mall has ordered a ban on teens!

This is really happening in Bloomington,Minnesota. Bloomington’s Mall of Americarecently banned kids under sixteen after 6:00P.M. on weekends, unless an adultaccompanies them. Mall officials took this

drastic action because store owners andcustomers complained that most kids weredisruptive. They said teens roamed around inpacks and intimidated people. Many othermalls are considering bans as well.

But some say bans like this are unfair.Opponents of the bans say they discriminateagainst a whole group of people just becauseof a few troublemakers.

What do you think? Is a mall ban fair?

Lots of kids go to mallsjust to cause trouble. Bansare a good way to keep

these kids under control. Also, malls areprivate property. That means they don’thave to let in kids if they don’t want to.Besides, kids spend too much time at themall as it is. They should be doingsomething productive rather thanwandering around malls all day. Going tomalls is a privilege, not a right.

Debate Prompt

Some malls in America havebanned teens. Is this fair?

23

This is a violation ofkids’ rights! Kids spendmoney at malls just like

everyone else and they’re entitled toequal treatment. Also, malls havereplaced the downtown area in manycommunities. Kids don’t have otherplaces to go. Anyway, it’s unfair topunish all kids just because some ofthem cause trouble. There are otherways to deal with troublesome kidsbesides a ban.

Teens say going to the mall is a right. But some malls say it’s a privilege.What doyou think?

Talk About It: If malls aren’t allowed to ban teens, what can malls do to controlteen problems at the mall?

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Your Turn!


ou know cheating is wrong. And you’dnever consider doing it. But what would youdo if you caught someone else cheating?

It would be a pretty easy question ifsomeone stole your homework. You’dprobably tell your teacher. And if someonewas selling answers to a test, you’d probablyreport it too. But what if you caught aclassmate taking a look at your answer sheetduring a test. Then what?

You don’t want to betray a classmate, whocould get into a lot of trouble. You also don’t

want to be known as a rat. But you studiedhard for this test. Why should this kid benefitfrom your hard work? Plus, if you don’t tell,you might get in trouble. If your teacherfound out, he might think you were in on it.

How would you handle it? If you saw aclassmate cheating, would you tell yourteacher?

Turn the cheater in!Cheating is totally unfair.Why should some kids

work hard just so other kids can stealtheir answers? There should be no freerides. If students want good grades, theyshould earn them, just like everyoneelse. Besides, cheaters need to bestopped for their own good. It mayseem like nothing now, but eventuallycheaters will wish they learned more inschool.

Debate Prompt

If you see someone cheating on a test, should you tell?

24

Don’t be a rat! Cheatingis not right, but kids shouldlearn to solve their own

problems rather than always running to ateacher. It’s much better to talk to yourclassmate yourself. If you catch someonelooking at your work during a test, let theperson know you noticed and want it tostop. If it doesn’t, then think about tellingthe teacher. But until then, you shouldhandle the problem on your own ratherthan being a tattletale.

Some kids would tell a teacher if they saw someone cheating. Others would keepquiet.What would you do?

Write Now: Write one reason why you should tell the teacher about a cheater.Write one reason why you might not.

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Your Turn!


ou’re at a friend’s house practicing for theschool play. You have a lot of lines to learnand the play is in a few days. But you’re ahard worker. And you’re a good actor. Andyour friend is willing to stay up late workingwith you. There’s just one problem. Yourtown has a curfew. You have to go homeearly.

All across America, towns are institutingcurfews for kids. Of the country’s 200 largestcities, 146 already have curfews. Many of thecities report drops in their crime rate as a

result. These cities also say that with curfewsin place, fewer kids are victims of crimes.

But some people want to end these curfews.They say they are a violation of kids’ rights,especially since some kids have to stay outlate because of school activities and jobs.

What do you think? Are curfews a goodidea?

Everyone always talksabout kids’ rights. Whatabout the right to feel

safe? Cities with curfews have lesscrime. This makes life better foreveryone. Anyway, why do kids need tostay out late? They should be homedoing their schoolwork instead ofcruising around. A curfew will helpkids focus on what’s important andkeep them out of trouble.

Debate Prompt

Are teen curfews a good thing?

25

Curfews are wrong,wrong, wrong! If you hada curfew for adults, there’d

be less crime too. But no one’s tryingto keep adults at home at night. Whyshould kids be treated differently fromadults? Besides, lots of kids need to beout late. They have school activities andjobs that end late. We should find otherways of reducing crime.

Some people say that kids should be home at a certain time. Other people saycurfews violate kids’ rights.What do you think?

Find Out More: What are some things, instead of curfews, that cities and townscan do to prevent problems?

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Your Turn!


hat did you do on your summer vacation?About 5 percent of U.S. school kids todaycould not answer that question. Why? Theygo to school year-round.

These days, year-round schedules areincreasingly popular. Some schools lengthenthe normal 180-day school year in order toimprove the students’ education. Otherschools are in session 180 days a year, butscatter three-week vacations throughout. Andother schools teach kids in alternatingshifts—that means some kids have their

summer vacations in the middle of winter! People who support year-round schooling

say that kids learn more that way. They saykids don’t forget what they learn over a longsummer break, and teachers spend less timereviewing old material.

Opponents say that year-round schoolingdoes little to boost learning. They say it takesaway a very important rest period for kids andincreases student and teacher burnout.

What do you think? Is year-round schoolinga good idea?

Summer vacation isnothing more than achance for kids to forget

everything they’ve learned. Worse, it’s achance for them to get into trouble.Kids have too much free time as it is.They don’t need three months withnothing to do. Year-round schoolimproves a kid’s education, and givesstudents something productive to doover the summer. Keep them in school!

Debate Prompt

Is year-round school a good idea?

26

For most kids, summervacation is a much-neededbreak. But that’s not to

say they aren’t productive. They playsports, go to camp, and participate inthings they can’t do during the schoolyear. More importantly, summer is thebest time for kids to get jobs. Most kidshave to work for their spending moneyand to save for college. If you keep kidsin school all summer, you’ll cut off theirchance to earn money.

Some people say kids should go to school year-round. Others say that’s too muchwork for kids.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: What are three positive things about year-round school?What are three negative things?

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Your Turn!


t’s Saturday afternoon. You and your friendshead to the park to ride your skateboards. Butwhen you arrive, a police officer stops you.She says skateboarding has been banned inthe park and tells you to leave.

These days, lots of skateboarders arefinding themselves without a place to skate.Cities and towns across the country havebanned skateboarding in public places. Manyskateboarders think these bans are unfair.They say that skateboarding should be treatedthe same as any other sport. They also

complain that there aren’t many other placesfor kids to skate. Most communities don’thave skateboarding parks.

City officials say the bans are necessarybecause skateboarders disrupt traffic andbother pedestrians. They also say thatskateboarding is extremely dangerous. Everyyear, thousands of skateboarders injurethemselves and others while skating in publicareas.

What do you think? Should skateboardingbe banned in public places?

Skateboarders have norespect for other people.They cut off cars, bump

into people, and clog up sidewalks.Skateboarding is also dangerous.Skaters can seriously injure themselvesas well as other people. Worse, ifskateboarders hurt themselves onpublic property, they could sue. Localcommunities just can’t take that risk.

Debate Prompt

Should skateboarding be banned in public places?

27

Skateboarding is nomore dangerous thananything else. Many more

people get hurt on bikes every year andno one wants to ban them. Anyway,with practice and the right gear,skateboarding is safe. Also, if kids can’tskate in public places, where can theyskate? People should realize thatskateboarding is just another way forkids to get exercise and have fun.

Some say skateboarding in public places is dangerous. Others say it’s not only funbut a right.What do you think?

Write Now: Make a list of three points that the two sides of this debate mightagree on.

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Your Turn!


aster, higher, stronger” is the Olympicmotto. Some Olympic athletes will do any-thing to run faster, jump higher, or bestronger. Lots of times this means hard work,discipline, and sacrifice. Other times, itmeans breaking the law. Some athletes takeperformance-enhancing drugs, like steroids,to improve their chances in a competition.

The International Olympic Committeebelieves that drug use goes against the spiritof the Olympics. Because of this, they haveestablished a drug-testing program. Every

athlete who competes is tested at least once,and then may be subjected to more randomtests later.

But some people think it’s the drug teststhat go against the spirit of the Olympics.They say Olympic officials have becomepolice officers and that the tests are aninvasion of privacy. But they say the worstthing is that sometimes the tests can bewrong.

What do you think? Does drug testing atthe Olympics make sense?

Drug use among topathletes has long been aproblem. Without drug

testing, Olympic competition would beabout who uses the most drugs, notabout who trains hardest and has thebest athletic skills. Athletes who useperformance-enhancing drugs are likemarathoners wearing in-line skates. Inother words, using drugs is the same ascheating. Plus, drugs like steroids cankill. Drug use has to be stopped.

Debate Prompt

Should Olympic athletes be tested for drugs?

28

Any athlete who testspositive for drugs isbanned from the games.

Drug tests are usually accurate. Butsometimes they show a positive resulteven when an athlete is only usingsomething like allergy medicine. Whenthat happens at the Olympics, aninnocent athlete is cheated out of thedream of a lifetime. That’s not fair.Unless the tests are foolproof, theyshouldn’t be used.

Some say that Olympic athletes should be tested for drugs. Others say this is abad idea.What do you think?

Talk About It: How would you feel if you found out that your Olympic hero had wonbecause of performance-enhancing drugs?

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Your Turn!


magine you’re in charge of a famous sportsteam. The team has a colorful history andthousands of enthusiastic fans. Then one daysomeone tells you that your team’s name isoffensive. They ask you to change it. Whatdo you do?

A few years ago, the Miami Indian Tribeasked Miami University of Ohio to changeits team’s name. The Miami Indians said thename Redskins was insulting. MiamiUniversity agreed and changed its name tothe Red Hawks. Other schools have done

the same.But not all sports teams have been willing

to change. In Mukwonago, Wisconsin, forinstance, the high school refused to give up itsname Warriors. The administration said theywere upholding school tradition andsupporting the fans of Mukwonago High.They also said that the name Warriors honorsNative Americans and the role they haveplayed in local history.

What do you think? Should sports teamshave to change their names?

Hello! Insulting a groupof people to protect asports tradition is

ridiculous! These names make peoplefeel bad and should be changed. It’s thatsimple. Anyway, changing a team’s nameis not that big a deal. It’s not like itwould cause them to lose. If the fansare really loyal, they’ll keep coming togames even after the team’s name haschanged.

Debate Prompt

Should sports teams drop Native American names?

29

Changing the names ofsports teams is unfair tofans. Imagine supporting a

team for a number of years only to haveits name changed. Sports traditions areimportant and should be protected.Besides, naming sports teams afterNative Americans is an honor. If NativeAmericans feel insulted by names likeRedskins and Warriors, they are being toosensitive.

Many Native Americans think these names are offensive. Other people say NativeAmericans are too sensitive.What do you think?

Find Out More: Make a list of all the teams that use Native American names. Canyou come up with other names to use instead?

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Your Turn!


magine you’re a famous basketball player.You play on a championship team, you’ve gotlots of fans, and, best of all, someone is pay-ing you $10 million to put your name on apair of sneakers. Then one day you find outthe shoes you endorse are made by childlaborers. How would you feel? Would youfeel responsible?

A couple of years ago Michael Jordan andKathy Lee Gifford faced this very problem.Some of Gifford’s line of clothes were madeby Honduran girls paid just 31 cents an hour.

And, according to news reports, somesneakers that have Jordan’s name on themwere made by ten-year-old children inIndonesia.

Many people are angry with Gifford andJordan for being involved with companies thatexploit children. Others aren’t upset. Theysay that celebrities are paid to endorse just theproduct—not the way it’s made.

What do you think? Are celebritiesresponsible for products they endorse?

Celebrities have a lot ofpower in this country.People trust them and do

what they say. They should be heldresponsible for what they tell people todo. Anyway, celebrities make millions ofdollars endorsing products. The leastthey can do is make sure these productsaren’t made by children. Celebritiesshould use their fame to help people,not just to make money.

Debate Prompt

Should celebrities be responsiblefor the products they endorse?

30

Every person isresponsible for his or herown decisions. If people

don’t like how a product is made, theyshouldn’t buy it. Anyway, celebrities havenothing to do with where a productcomes from. It’s the companies thatmake the products that are reallyresponsible. Punishing celebrities willnot change anything. If people want tomake a difference they should forcebusinesses to change.

If a celebrity endorses a product, should he or she be held responsible for howit’s made? Some say yes. Others say no.What do you think?

Talk About It: Are you more or less likely to buy a product that was endorsed by acelebrity? Tell why.

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Your Turn!


ow would you feel if you arrived at schoolone day wearing the exact same outfit as every-one else? For some kids this happens everyday. They go to schools where uniforms aremandatory.

These days, more and more schools aremaking students wear uniforms. How come,you might ask. Well, teachers at these schoolssay that uniforms help students to focus on theirstudies—rather than on their fashion dilemmas.They also say that uniforms “level the playingfield” among students from different economic

backgrounds. The stress of having the latestclothes can be intense. And not all kids canafford to keep up with the new fashions.

Other schools have refused to adoptuniforms. These schools say that clothes offerkids and teens a healthy way to be creative.Clothes help kids express their individuality.They also say that uniforms make studentsuncomfortable, which makes it hard for them tostudy.

What do you think? Should uniforms berequired at school?

Give us a break. There’stoo much competitionover clothing in schools

today. Kids should focus on theirschoolwork, rather than on appearances.They should also be finding better waysto express their individuality. Choosing asweater to wear isn’t creative. Andthere are bigger problems associatedwith clothes. Gangs identify themselvesby certain colors and symbols. Schooluniforms get rid of this problem.

Debate Prompt

Should schools have dress codes?

31

Are you kidding? Puttingon a tie doesn’t makesomeone any smarter.

Uniforms only make kids uncomfortable;they don’t turn kids into better students.More important, uniforms hinder freethinking and teach kids to conform. Thesolution to problems such as gangviolence is to encourage kids to think forthemselves, and to not follow the crowd.Making kids wear uniforms teaches theopposite lesson.

Some teachers say uniforms help students do well in school. Others say they spoilkids’ creativity. Who do you think is right?

Consider Both Sides: Why do you think some teachers would like dress codes forstudents? Why do you think some parents don’t support dress codes?

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Your Turn!


n 2000, Ricky Martin urged PresidentClinton to halt military tests on an island offPuerto Rico. Martin is just the latest celebrityto take a stand on a political cause. U2’sBono has campaigned for internationalhuman rights. The band Rage Against theMachine has crusaded against censorship.And Rosie O’Donnell has advocatedincreased gun control.

Many celebrities feel they’re obliged tospeak out on important issues because theycan reach a large audience. They think they

should use their fame to do something good—especially if it’s a cause they believe in.

But not everybody thinks celebrities shouldtake a stand on political issues. Critics saythat celebrities have far too much influence.Critics also say that big stars often don’t knowwhat they’re talking about. They say thatsingers and actors should leave political issuesfor the experts to figure out.

What do you think? Should celebritiesspeak out on political causes?

Celebrities have a lot ofpower. They should use itto do good things. Since

their fans and the press will care aboutwhat they say, celebrities have a duty topublicly express their beliefs. Whethercelebrities like it or not, they are rolemodels. They owe it to their fans toshow some leadership. And they owe itto the world to put their power togood use.

Debate Prompt

Should celebrities speak out on political issues?

32

If celebrities want to berole models, they shouldwork for charitable

causes. Or they should donate theirmoney to political groups. Too often,celebrities get involved in things theydon’t know anything about. And peopleend up listening to them rather thanpeople who are truly experts on theissues. Anyway, lots of celebrities justuse political causes to improve theirown public image.

Some people think big stars should take a stand on issues. Others think theyshould keep quiet.What do you think?

Find Out More: Make a list of celebrities who do speak out on issues. Have any ofthese celebrities influenced your opinions?

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Your Turn!


any educators and politicians inLouisiana believe that students lack

respect for their teachers. To counteract this,the Louisiana government has passed a lawrequiring students to call their teachersMa’am or Sir. Each school is responsible forpunishing students who break the rule.However, schools can neither suspend norexpel these students.

Legislators believe this law will instilldiscipline and respect in the classroom. Theysay that this will lead to a better learning

environment. More importantly, they say itwill lead to safer schools. They claim that thelack of respect for officials has contributed toviolent acts in school.

But opponents argue that respect is morecomplicated than requiring formal titles forteachers. They claim respect grows fromteachers and students working together, andthat rules handed down by the governmenthurt this cooperation.

What do you think? Should students haveto call their teachers Ma’am and Sir?

By requiring students tospeak with courtesy totheir teachers, you’ll have

a better learning environment. And isn’tthat the goal of school anyway? Onlywhen there is respect for teachers cankids learn anything. If no one respectsthe teachers, why would anyone listento what they have to say? In addition,students who treat teachers withrespect will learn to treat friends andfuture employers in the same manner.

Debate Prompt

Should kids have to addressteachers as Ma’am and Sir?

33

What kids don’t need isa law telling them how tospeak. What’s next? A law

telling them how to think? Forcing kidsto use Ma’am and Sir doesn’t createrespect. It only drives kids and teachersfarther apart, when they should beworking as a team. That’s where respectcomes from. Students respect teachersthey trust and who provide help.

Some people say using these titles is a sign of respect. Others say this is ridicu-lous.What do you think?

Talk About It: What’s your opinion on this issue? Discuss your point of view withothers in your class.

Your Turn!

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icture this: It’s your sixteenth birthday, andafter years of waiting you’re finally old enoughto drive. But after studying hard and passing thedriver’s test, you find out that having a licenseisn’t what you thought it would be. Your drivingprivileges are totally restricted. You can’t drivealone at night, or with other teens. Basically,you discover that if you want to drive any-where, you have to go with your mom!

Recently, teenagers around the countryhave been having a similar experience. Theylive in one of the 34 states that give teen

drivers “graduated” licenses. With this type oflicense, you earn privileges gradually. InCalifornia, for example, for the first sixmonths of having your license, you can’tdrive after midnight unless you have an adultin the car. And you’re also not allowed totransport other teens.

Many people think graduated licenses are agood idea and that they’ll save lives. Otherpeople say that teens are being unfairlytargeted.What do you think? Should statesgive teens graduated licenses?

Too many teens die onthe road! Thirty-onepercent of all deaths of

people between the ages of fifteen andtwenty-four are caused by motor-vehicleaccidents. Restricting teen drivingprivileges will reduce this. It might notbe the most popular solution. But it’sabsolutely necessary. Kids just aren’tmature enough to handle an adultlicense. The numbers prove it!

Debate Prompt

Should laws be stricter for teenage drivers?

34

Why should teens bediscriminated against?There are plenty of bad

adult drivers out there. Why doesn’tanyone restrict their licenses? Teens arebeing unfairly picked on, and their rightsare definitely being violated. Andgraduated licenses will only causeproblems for kids that have to worklate.

Some people say that teen driving privileges should be restricted. Others say thatteen drivers should have the same rights as everyone else.What do you think?

Talk About It: Are teen drivers more likely than older drivers to make mistakes?Are teen drivers more likely to break the law?

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Your Turn!


n recent years, a whole new generation of teenidols has hit the scene. People like RickyMartin, Mandy Moore, and Justin Timberlakehave all found fame and fortune in the world ofmovies and pop music. Their lives have becomepretty exciting since they made it big. But thereis also a price to fame. And among the mostannoying aspects of celebrity are the paparazzi.

Paparazzi (pa-pa-ROT-zee) are photo-graphers who make a living by sellingpictures of celebrities. The better and rarer thepicture, the more money they make. This is

why paparazzi will follow certain celebritieseverywhere. Most obey the laws. But somewill sneak into celebrities’ houses, stalk themon the beach, and even chase them in cars.

Many people think the paparazzi ought to bestopped. People say they violate celebrities’right to privacy, and are also dangerous.

The paparazzi say they’re only givingpeople what they want. They also say thattheir work is what makes celebrities famousin the first place.What do you think? Shouldthe paparazzi be banned?

Celebrities are peopletoo! They have a right toprivacy just like everyone

else. The paparazzi violate this right andthey should be stopped. It might bedifferent if they weren’t so aggressive.But they’ll do really dangerous things toget the shots that sell for the mostmoney. This is not about limitingfreedom of speech. This is aboutstopping greed and respecting privacy.Ban the paparazzi!

Debate Prompt

Should the paparazzi be banned?

35

The paparazzi are not atfault. They’re only givingpeople what they want.

Celebrities benefit from lots of pressand the public loves the pictures.Anyway, there are already laws in placeto protect celebrities from theaggressive paparazzi—it’s already illegalto sneak into someone’s house to takepictures of them. Why ban all paparazzi?Just go after the ones that break the law.

Some people say the paparazzi should be banned. Others say that photographersshould be free to take pictures of whatever they want.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: How would you feel if someone took a picture of you afteryou asked them not to? Would you take a picture of a friend who told you not to?

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Your Turn!


ere’s a schedule you might recognize:Wake up at 5:30 A.M. Finish up homework.Go to school for six hours. Head to sportspractice. Baby-sit or flip burgers until 8:00P.M. Go home. Wolf down dinner. Practicepiano. Do more homework. Hit the pillow atmidnight.

Too much? Some people think so. Parentsand teachers around the country are sayingthat schedules like this are way too full foryoung people. They say that withoutsufficient downtime a teen’s physical and

mental health can be seriously damaged.But other people say a busy schedule is

good for teens. They claim that keeping busyteaches teens about the real world andprepares them for the future. They also saythat having lots of activities keeps teens out oftrouble.

What do you think? Is it possible for teensto do too much?

This has nothing to dowith laziness! This isabout priorities and

realistic expectations. Teens are so busythese days that they can’t focus on thethings that are really important—likebeing healthy and happy! Good gradesare important. So are sports and part-time jobs. But teens still need time torelax and have fun, just like everyoneelse.

Debate Prompt

Do teens have too much to do?

36

This is just anotherargument in defense oflaziness. It’s a hard world,

and the sooner teens accept this, thebetter. The more they work now, theless difficult it will be for them to dealwith the stressful world of adults. Lifeisn’t going to get any easier. Shelteringteens from hard work won’t helpanything. People who think differentlyare fooling themselves.

Some people say that teens have too much to do. Others suggest that busyschedules prepare teens for the real world.What do you think?

Write Now: How much do you do? Write a paragraph describing your own schedule.Explain why you might want to add to or cut back on it.

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Your Turn!


ow would you feel if you went scuba-divingand found sunken treasure—pieces of goldfrom a lost Spanish ship? Probably prettyexcited. How would you feel if the coastguard made you turn the treasure over to amuseum? You might feel kind of gypped. Butyou also might feel good. Everyone would beable to appreciate your discovery if it were ina museum.

But how would you feel if finding thetreasure wasn’t an accident? What if you were a professional treasure hunter? Many

professional treasure hunters, or salvors,spend a lifetime looking for treasure that mostpeople don’t even believe exists. They studyold books and maps for years. They go intodebt. They even risk their lives. Now courtsare making them give what they find tomuseums. The courts say that lost treasure ishistorically important and belongs toeveryone.

What do you think? Should courts letsalvors keep the lost treasure they find?

Salvors do the workand take the risks. Theyshould get the rewards!

Most of the stuff they find would be lostforever if it weren’t for them. If theycan’t keep the treasure they find, they’llstop looking. Anyway, when salvors selltheir treasure, they auction it off to thehighest bidder. If museums want thetreasure, they can buy it just like anyoneelse.

Debate Prompt

If you find a historical treasure,does it belong to you?

37

Treasure hunters needto be stopped! Historicalartifacts belong to

everyone and not just to the first guywho happens to find them. Andmuseums are much too poor to buy theartifacts at an auction. Plus, treasurehunters do a lot of damage. They’ll stopat nothing to get gold and silver. Theyoften destroy historical sites and eventhe environment because of their greed.

Some people say that sunken treasure belongs in museums. Others say that trea-sure belongs to the people who find it.What do you think?

Consider Both Sides: Imagine that you are a treasure hunter who has just founda valuable object off the U.S. coast. What would you say in a speech to congress?

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Your Turn!


hese days, you can find surveillance cam-eras everywhere. They’re at the mall, onstreet corners, and in libraries. Now, thesecameras may be coming to the classroomsand hallways of your school. After thetragedy at Columbine High School in 1999,many schools across the country have beenincreasing security. And this has includedplacing surveillance cameras in school hall-ways, parking lots, and even on buses.

Administrators think the cameras willreduce theft, prevent violence, and identify

suspects in crimes. They also say securitycameras might even boost grades becausestudents work best in safe environments.

Other people say that cameras violate kids’right to privacy. Furthermore, they claim thatcameras are a waste of money. For a singleschool, installing a camera system can costalmost $1 million. Many people think thismoney would be better spent on educationalmaterial.

What do you think? Should surveillancecameras be used in public schools?

Schools can bedangerous places. Schoolofficials need to do

whatever they can to keep studentssafe—even if this means giving up somefreedoms. Surveillance cameras are thebest way to catch criminals. Better still,they discourage people from committingcrimes in the first place. Anyway, privacyis not really endangered. Tapes fromcameras are usually not even watchedunless a crime has occurred.

Debate Prompt

Should surveillance cameras be used in schools?

38

School safety isimportant. But it doesn’tjustify violating kids’ rights.

Besides, there are much better solutionsthan cameras. Why not take the moneyfor a new surveillance system and startprograms to help troubled kids. Onemillion dollars could pay for job trainingand after-school activities. Catchingtroublemakers in the act doesn’t solveanything. What kids need are reasons tonot start trouble in the first place.

Some schools are installing surveillance cameras to keep kids safe. But lots ofpeople say this is a bad idea.What do you think?

Write Now: Imagine surveillance cameras are used in your school. Do students andteachers feel the same way about the cameras? Write a news story aboutstudent and teacher reaction to the cameras.

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Your Turn!


ou’re at a concert. The place is packed andthe music is loud. This is what you live for.You make your way to the front of the crowd.You know that the real action is by the stage.But when you arrive, everyone is just stand-ing around. No one is bumping into oneanother. No one is crowd surfing or stage div-ing. And then you see the big line of securityguards. At this concert, moshing is notallowed!

This is a common story these days. Manybands and concert promoters are saying no to

moshing. Why? Because unruly concerts can bevery dangerous. In the past five years, 49 peoplehave died and nearly 22,000 people have beeninjured at concerts in the United States. Themoshing fad explains a lot of the injuries.

But for many music fans, not being able tomosh takes the fun out of concerts. They alsoclaim moshing isn’t the problem and that itshouldn’t be blamed when crowds get out ofcontrol.

What do you think? Should moshing beallowed at concerts?

No mosh, no fun.Going to a concertwithout moshing is like

going to a restaurant without eating.Besides, moshing is not that dangerous.It’s high-energy dancing. That’s it.There’s plenty of things that are muchmore risky than moshing. Like playingfootball. More kids get injured on afootball field than in a mosh pit, but noone wants to ban football.

Debate Prompt

Should moshing be allowed at concerts?

39

Moshers are obnoxiousand really dangerous.They ruin concerts for

everyone else. You can’t get close to thestage without someone jumping on youor knocking you over. And moshingalways leads to fights. Sooner or later,someone gets pushed too hard and theystart punching. Anyway, it’s not likemoshing is the only way to enjoy aconcert. There are plenty of ways todance without hurting other people.

Some say moshing at concerts is dangerous. Others say it’s safe.What do youthink?

Talk About It: Would you be nervous at a concert where kids were moshing? Orwould you join in? What might you do to protect yourself?

Y

Your Turn!


icture this: You’re working on a story foryour school newspaper. You’ve done lots ofresearch, conducted interviews, and dug upall the right information. After lots of carefulanalysis, you finally come up with conclusiveproof: The cafeteria food is terrible! But justas you’re about to publish your article, theprincipal steps in. He says you can’t run thepiece. Why? Because he thinks it makes theschool look bad. Is this fair?

Many people say it is. They say schoolnewspapers are different from real

newspapers and that teachers have aresponsibility to supervise them. TheSupreme Court agrees. In 1988, it said, “Aschool need not tolerate student speech that isinconsistent with its basic educationalmission.”

Still, lots of people disagree with this. Theysay that censorship is always wrong, even inthe case of a school newspaper.

What do you think? Should school officialscensor school newspapers?

Student journalists needguidance. They don’t haveenough experience to be

in charge of a newspaper all bythemselves. They could say things thatare offensive or mean. Worse, theycould write something that is false. Ifthis happens and the story hurtssomeone, the school will be sued, notthe reporter. School newspapers arejust not the same as real newspapers.

Debate Prompt

Should school newspapers be censored?

40

Principals and teachershave no right to censorschool newspapers—one

of the few places kids have to voice theiropinions. If you censor the newspaper,you tell kids they have no right toexpress opinions. Anyway, the mainreason schools censor their newspapersis because they have something to hide.With censorship, schools can dowhatever they want. A free press holdspeople responsible for their actions.

In schools all across the county, teachers and principals regularly censor schoolnewspapers. Do you think this is fair?

Consider Both Sides: Why might some people want school papers censored? Whywould others be against it?

P

Your Turn!


wo students get into a bad fight at school.There’s a broken nose, two knocked-outteeth, and a black eye. What should their pun-ishment be? In some schools in the UnitedStates, the punishment would be a “good old-fashioned” spanking. Currently, 23 statesallow school officials to paddle students.Some people estimate school officials paddlekids between 1 and 2 million times a year inU.S. schools.

Many people say this should stop. They saythat paddling increases, rather than reduces,

violence by teaching kids to use it to solvetheir problems. These people also say thatpaddling hurts a student emotionally. Theysay spanking can ruin students’ self-esteemand turn teachers into enemies.

But other people think that paddling is theonly way to teach students that their behaviorhas real consequences. They say paddling isfar more frightening than detention.

What do you think? Should schools paddlestudents to punish them?

Paddling may be a toughpunishment, but somestudents just won’t listen.

Paddling is the only way to get throughto them. Suspending students doesn’twork. It just gives them days off fromschool. Besides, kids are much betteroff in the long run if they get paddled.Severe punishment now means lesstrouble later in life.

Debate Prompt

Should paddling be used to punish students?

41

Are you serious?Paddling is cruel andinhumane and should be

totally illegal. It teaches students thatviolence is a good way to solve theirproblems. What else is paddling but aform of physical violence? Paddling isalso completely embarrassing anddamages the self-image of the student.Schools should have other forms ofpunishment. Paddling should be banned!

Lots of people say kids should be paddled if they step out of line. Others say thisis wrong.What do you think?

Talk About It: What means of control, other than paddling, can teachers use inthe classroom?

T

Your Turn!


our dad is driving you crazy. It seems likehe doesn’t care about the environment at all.He doesn’t recycle, he runs the air condition-er continuously, and he puts chemicals onthe lawn. What’s worse, he laughs when youtell him that these things harm the planet.Then one day he tells you he has a surprise.He says that he’s bought you an early birth-day present. It’s a gorgeous, but gas-guzzling,sports car.

Do you accept it? You know that cars are amajor source of pollution. And you know that

it’s important to conserve energy. Hello!We’re talking about your very own car.

Whatever you decide, you can be sure thatyou’re not the only one facing this problem.These days, everyone struggles with the factthat everyday products can damage theenvironment. But what’s the solution? Shouldpeople have to give up things they want andneed to save the environment?

People think that theiractions don’t matter, but itall adds up. When millions

of people run air conditioners and drivecars alone, it wastes energy and pollutesthe air. The environment must comefirst. It doesn’t matter what we have togive up. Anyway, what seems essentialoften isn’t. For instance, people can takebuses instead of driving. Or, they canwear lighter clothing instead of turningon the air conditioner.

Debate Prompt

Would you give up certain luxuriesto save the environment?

42

People should relax andstop being so pessimistic.Earth has been around for

a long time. Cars and air conditionersaren’t going to destroy it. Anyway, whatsome call comforts and conveniences arereally necessities. Imagine living inPhoenix, Arizona, without an airconditioner, or in rural Nebraska withouta car. Environmentalists shouldunderstand that there are some thingspeople can’t live without.

Cars and air conditioners cause pollution. Some people say we should give themup. Others say we shouldn’t.What do you think?

Write Now: Make a list of the things you enjoy that might be harmful to theenvironment. Are there any you could use less—or stop using altogether?

Y

Your Turn!


omework, sports, friends, chores, some-times even a job—it’s amazing that kids canfit it all in. Well, guess what? Some sudentshave a new after-school responsibility—vol-unteer work.

One teen works at an old-age home.Another reads books to the blind. Otherstudents volunteer at a homeless shelter. Arethey doing it out of the goodness of theirhearts? Not really. They have to do it if theywant to graduate from school. Across thecountry, students are being required to do

volunteer work to graduate.Some parents and students think this is

unfair. They say that teens already haveenough to do. It’s fine if teens want tovolunteer, but they shouldn’t be forced to doit. Others say it’s good for teens to dovolunteer work. Learning to help others iseducational.

What do you think? Should doing volunteerwork be a requirement to graduate?

Volunteering is great!Every teen should becomeinvolved. When teens

work in the community, they learn thingsthey could never learn in the classroom.Working at a homeless shelter or readingto the blind teaches kids to appreciatethe good things they have in life. It alsoteaches them compassion. Besides,what could be more important thanhelping other people? Volunteering isimportant—and it improves your life.

Debate Prompt

Should students have to do volunteer work to graduate?

43

Having to do volunteerwork isn’t volunteering atall. Volunteer work should

not be a part of schoolwork. Manystudents don’t have time to volunteer.They are too busy with homework andactivities. There’s plenty of time tovolunteer once you’re an adult. Besides,there are lots of kinds of volunteering.Many teens volunteer at home—babysitting, cooking, and cleaning. Noforced volunteering!

Some people think that passing all your classes is enough of a reason to graduate.What do you think?

Write Now: Make a list of two to three places where you would like to be avolunteer. What kinds of things could you do if you volunteered at these places?

H

Your Turn!


n the past five years, the school board inNew Orleans has changed the names of 22schools. Why? Because the board opposesschools that were named for anyone who didnot respect equal rights for all.

The problem is that some of these schoolswere named for some pretty famous people.The list includes important war heroes andpolitical leaders. George Washington waseven on the list because he was a slave owner!So the New Orleans school board renamedGeorge Washington Elementary for Dr.

Charles Richard Drew, a famous African-American surgeon.

But some people think this is going too far.They agree schools shouldn’t support thingslike slavery. But they also think that peoplelike George Washington deserve to beremembered. After all, they say, he did makemajor contributions to our country.

How do you feel? Should all schools namedfor slave owners be renamed?

We should not honoranyone who owned aslave. If a school is named

after a person who owned a slave, thename should be changed. It doesn’tmatter who it is. Naming schools afterslave owners sends a terrible messageto kids. It tells them that people todaydon’t care about the pain that some ofour American ancestors suffered inslavery.

Debate Prompt

Should schools named for slaveowners be renamed?

44

No one’s supportingslavery by naming a schoolafter George Washington.

He was a slave owner, and that waswrong. But he was also our firstpresident and the leader of theAmerican Revolution. That’s whatpeople are honoring when they name aschool after him. Schools should teachkids about the horror of slavery in socialstudies classes. They shouldn’t worryabout changing school names.

Many schools named after slave owners are changing their names. Do you thinkthis is a good idea?

Talk About It: Why do you think some people may feel strongly about this issue?How do you feel about it? Share it with others in your class.

I

Your Turn!


octors can now save lives by temporarilytransplanting pig organs into human bodies.Pigs’ organs are similar in size and weight tohuman organs. That’s why they function wellin humans. Companies are now even cloningpigs for this purpose. The pig clones weredeveloped for organs that are compatiblewith human bodies. Within the next year,there may even be a permanent pig-to-humanorgan transplant!

But some people say we shouldn’t pursuethese transplants. They fear the pigs’ organs

could introduce new diseases to humans.Many people also think that killing animalsfor their organs is a violation of animals’rights.

People in favor of the transplants say thatthe risks for disease are minimal. They alsoclaim that animal rights are just not importantwhen a human being is dying.

What do you think? Should doctors putpigs’ organs in human bodies?

This is a no-brainer!There are 180,000 peopleworldwide waiting for

organ transplants. Many of these peoplewill die waiting for an organ. If pigorgans were used, many more liveswould be saved. We can’t let skepticsand animal rights advocates hold usback. Scientists should keep workinghard to develop better transplantingprocedures. It’s a matter of life anddeath.

Debate Prompt

Should doctors transplant pigs’organs into human bodies?

45

Humans might getdeadly viruses from pig-organ transplants. Some

scientists think that diseases like MadCow Disease could come into thehuman population through contact withanimals. Who knows what kinds of newdiseases pigs could give us? Anyway,animals are not simply tools to be usedand abused as humans see fit. They haverights too. Putting animals’ organs inhuman bodies should not be allowed!

Some people think doctors should use pigs’ organs to save human lives. Othersthink this is a bad idea.What do you think?

Talk About It: If someone you know needed a transplant, how would you feel aboutthe use of pigs’ organs.

D

Your Turn!


hese days, more and more women are join-ing the military. There are nearly 200,000women already enlisted. Women in the mili-tary can do almost anything, including flyingcombat planes. The only jobs women areexcluded from are ground combat and sub-marine duty.

Even so, the issue of women in the militaryis far from settled. In the marines, men andwomen are separated during basic training.Recently, a panel appointed by DefenseSecretary William S. Cohen proposed

expanding this policy. The panel wants toseparate men and women in the army, navy,and air force training programs as well.

Some people believe that separating menand women during training makes them bettersoldiers. They also say it reduces problemslike sexual harassment. But other people saythat separating men and women shows thatwomen are not being treated equally.

What do you think? Should male andfemale military training be separate?

Face facts! Men andwomen are different.Separating them during

basic training is a good idea. If men andwomen are separated, they won’tbecome involved with each otherromantically. And bigger problems likesexual harassment would be reduced tozero. With separate training, themilitary can focus on preparing recruitsfor battle rather than baby-sitting them.

Debate Prompt

Should male and female training in the military be separate?

46

We live in a societywhere men and womenare equal. Separating men

and women during basic training totallycontradicts that. If they don’t traintogether, how will men and womenlearn to work together? Segregatingmen and women would be a definitestep backwards. Besides, hasn’t ournation already learned that separate isnot equal?

Some people think that men and women in the armed services should be trainedseparately. Others say they should be trained together.What do you think?

Write Now: Why does separate training make sense? Why might it not be a goodidea?

T

Your Turn!


hese days, people are still working hard tomake sure men and women are treated equal-ly. It’s true that the United States has laws toprotect that equality. But sometimes thoselaws aren’t enough. This is especially true inAmerican schools. A 1992 study showed thatschools consistently shortchange girls. Girlsare less active in school politics than boys.They participate in sports less than boys do.And they achieve less in school.

But in some parts of the United States, theopposite is true. In several public schools, the

class president, the captain of the soccer team,and even the editor of the yearbook are allgirls. How did this happen? After the 1992study, several states started all-girls schools.

Supporters of these schools say this type ofenvironment works. They say these schoolsensure that girls have plenty of opportunities.Opponents say that all-girls schools give afalse impression of what the real world islike.

What do you think? Should girls have theirown schools?

All-girls schools are agreat idea. There’sscientific proof that

teachers pay more attention to boysthan to girls. With no boys around, girlsget the attention they deserve. And it’seasier for them to participate in schoolactivities. Plus, in single-sex schools girlsare free from social pressures and canconcentrate on learning.

Debate Prompt

Should girls have their own schools?

47

This is a rotten idea. It’strue that girls aren’talways treated fairly. And

that has to change. But sexism is notgoing to go away just by having all-girlsschools. Girls should be exposed to thepressures they will face in the realworld. That’s the only way they’ll learnto deal with challenges. If girls don’t goto school with boys, they’re not going tobe prepared for real life when theygraduate.

Some people say girls should have their own schools. Others say they ought to beeducated with boys.What do you think?

Find Out More: Take a poll in your class. How many are in favor? How many areagainst?

T

Your Turn!


cross the country, schools are beefing uptheir security. They want to make sure that noone’s bringing anything dangerous toschool—especially guns.

But some schools in the United Statesactually own guns, and keep them in theirbuildings. What’s more, they let students usethem! How come? Believe it or not, manyschools have riflery teams. The teams learn touse the guns at school, and practice shootingrifles on school grounds.

For some teams, however, shooting practice

is over for good. Many of the schools thathave riflery are now banning it. People likeChicago Schools Chief Paul Vallas say thatriflery sends a mixed message to kids.Schools tell kids that gun violence is wrong,but then schools teach kids how to shoot.

Other people think it’s unfair to ban a safesport that many kids enjoy. They say rifleryshould be treated like any other activity.

What do you think? Should schools banrifle teams?

Guns have no place atschool! It doesn’t matterwhat they’re for. You can’t

teach kids not to play with guns one day,and then let them use them the next.And what if a dangerous person signs upfor riflery? Is it a good idea to teachthis person how to use a gun? Riflerycan’t be treated like “any other sport.”What makes it different? Hello! Itinvolves dangerous weapons!

Debate Prompt

Should kids learn riflery in schools?

48

The right to bear armsis protected by theconstitution. No one has

the power to violate that right. It’s thatsimple. Anyway, the problem of violencedoesn’t have anything to do with guns.It has to do with kids who have seriousmental problems. People should spendmore time addressing the needs of kidsrather than trying to ban a healthy andexciting activity.

Some people say guns have no place at schools. Others say that riflery should betreated like any other sport.What do you think?

Write Now: Write a paragraph that explains your feelings about riflery.

A

Your Turn!


et’s say you have a friend in a far-off coun-try. One day she sends you a letter that saysshe can’t write to you anymore. At first youdon’t understand. But as you continue toread, you discover the reason. A war has bro-ken out in her country.

This is the worst news you’ve ever received.You’re worried for your friend. You startwatching the news every night to see what’shappening. It’s the most horrifying thingyou’ve ever seen. Then one day the newsreports something completely unbelievable.

The United States has decided not to help stopthe war. The government says it’s none of ourbusiness. How do you feel?

Many people would argue this decisionmakes sense. These people say that the UnitedStates just can’t solve everyone else’sproblems. Others say the United States musthelp those in need, no matter what. They saywe just can’t abandon people.

What do you think? Should the UnitedStates be the world’s police force?

People need our help.All you have to do is turnon the television to see

people who are starving or getting shotat. The United States is the richestcountry in the world. It has moremoney and a bigger military than anyother country. There are all sorts ofthings we can do to solve the world’sproblems. To sit back and do nothing isunthinkable.

Debate Prompt

Should the United States be the world’s police force?

49

We can’t even solve ourown problems. How canwe help other people?

Our country needs new schools, newhospitals, and a bigger police force. Wecan’t pour money into other countriesuntil we’ve taken care of these thingsfirst. Anyway, the world has too manyproblems to solve. If we tried to fixeveryone else’s problems we’d be brokein a week.

Some people say the United States should help other nations. Others say thatthe world’s problems are none of our business.What do you think?

Talk About It: Why might some countries need help from the United States?

L

Your Turn!


et’s say you really want a new portable CDplayer but you don’t quite have the cash.Here’s the good news: Someone agrees tolend you the money. But there’s a catch. Youhave to pay them back extra. And the longeryou take to pay them back, the more you’llowe. You could even end up owing doublewhat you borrowed! Would you take theloan? Believe it or not, teens all acrossAmerica are getting loans just like this. How?That’s how credit cards work!

Credit cards can be useful. If you don’t

have the money for something you need, youcan buy it anyway. You’ll just pay for it later.But this convenience has a price. If you planto buy now and pay later, you’ll be payingvery high interest. That means you’ll bepaying extra for anything you buy.

Many people think credit cards are toomuch responsibility for teens. Others thinkthat they should have the same rights as anyother consumer.

What do you think? Should teens beallowed to have their own credit cards?

Credit cards let you doall sorts of things. Theymake it easy to buy things

over the phone. If they get lost orstolen, they’re easier to replace thancash. Plus, a credit card keeps track ofyour spending—it’s a good way to stayon budget. And if you’re careful, you’llnever have to pay interest. Credit cardsare useful in today’s world and teensshould have them too.

Debate Prompt

Should teens have their own credit cards?

50

It’s hard enough foradults to keep track oftheir credit card. Many

adults get in big trouble with theircredit-card debts. It would only beworse for teens. Most kids don’t makeenough money to pay back their debton time. Teach kids about savings andbuying things with the money theyhave—not the money they’re going tohave.

Some say credit cards are just for adults. Others think that kids should get themtoo.What do you think?

Write Now: Make a list of good reasons for teens to have credit cards. Make asecond list of reasons why it is a bad idea.

L

Your Turn!


50 debate prompts for kids

Documents

scholastic

kids daley

worlds police

enter beauty

government

commit violent

space exploration

gun makers