Middle School Research Paper--Possible Topics (Paper copies handed out in Class)
Below are some questions to get you thinking about a possible topic for your research
paper. You may decide to choose one of these topics, you may be led by one of these ideas
to a related topic, or you may decide to choose a topic of your own that is not mentioned
here. No matter what you choose, the following must be true about your topic:
1. It should be interesting to you! You will be spending a lot of time reading and writing
about this topic, so pick something that you feel passionate about.
2. It can be discussed well in a 5-page typed research paper. Your topic should neither be
too broad nor too limited.
3. It has research/expert support/data/facts from reliable sources to back up your general
ideas.
4. It can be broken into three main parts (three body paragraphs) that develop your topic.
5. It allows you to be persuasive. Using research to support your ideas, you are taking a
stand for or against some topic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Should students be allowed to have cell phones with them during the day? (Choose
elementary, middle, or high school.)
2. Should all schools require students to wear uniforms?
3. Should college athletes be paid for playing?
4. Should the voting age be lowered?
5. Should the driving age be raised?
6. Should illegal immigrants be allowed to get drivers' licenses?
7. Should students’ textbooks be replaced by notebook computers?
8. Should students have to pass a basic skills test to graduate high school?
9. What can be done to address the obesity problem in American youth?
10. Should girls be allowed to play on boys' sports teams?
11. Should teens be able to buy violent video games?
12. Should boys and girls be in separate classes (the advantages or disadvantages of coed
schools)?
13. Should our country have a universal health care program?
14. Should immigration laws be reformed?
15. Should people who download music and movies illegally be punished?
16. Should school athletes have to be on the honor roll to play in games?
17. Should students be able to listen to MP3 players on headphones during class? (Does
music help or hinder students' concentration/study habits/academic performance?)
18. Should people traveling in airplanes have to undergo intensive security screenings?
19. Should teachers have to pass a basic skills test every ten years to renew their
certification?
20. Should recycling be mandatory for every business and household?
21. Should celebrities who break the law face stricter penalties?
22. Should there be tougher federal restrictions for content on the Internet?
23. Should students be suspended if they engage in cyberbullying?
24. Should more be done to protect and preserve endangered animals?
25. Should schools start later in the morning?
26. Should the USA end overseas military operations?
27. Should politicians be allowed to accept campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists?
28. Should professional athletes have to take drug tests?
29. Should high school students have to complete community service hours to graduate?
30. Should scientists be allowed to test products intended for human use on animals?
31. Should unhealthy fast food products be sold with a warning label?
32. Should schools with low scores on standardized tests be closed?
33. Is homeschooling better or worse than traditional school models?
34. Are teens today positively or negatively affected by social media?
35. Should children who commit violent crimes be tried as adults?
36. Should the government be allowed to detain suspected terrorists without trial?
37. Should the government censor Internet content deemed inappropriate? OR Should the
government, in the interest of homeland security, have access to citizens' private
communication?
38. Why does the United States' educational system lag behind other countries'?