Spark critical thinking with ready-to-use discussion prompts.
What does this AI tool do?
The Generate Debate Topics AI tool helps you instantly create suitable discussion or debate topics for your lesson. You provide a theme (e.g. climate change or social media), and the AI generates matching statements or questions.
This tool is ideal for citizenship lessons, PSHE, language classes, mentor time, or project-based learning — at any educational level.
How does it work?
1. Enter a topic for your debate or discussion
Open the AI-tool 'Create debate topics' in LessonUp. Type in a clear and specific topic, such as:
Urbanisation
Artificial intelligence
Climate change
Online privacy
💡 Tip: Choose topics that are current or relevant to students’ lives for greater engagement.
2. (Optional) Select the educational level
The AI will adjust the wording and complexity to match the level you select – from primary and secondary to vocational or university education.
3. Decide whether to generate statements
Choose:
Yes – the AI will produce bold, opinion-based statements (e.g. “Social media should be banned for under-16s.”)
No – the AI will generate open-ended questions or discussion prompts (e.g. “What impact does social media have on teenagers?”)
Use statements for structured debates (like Oxford-style), and open questions for group discussions or Socratic seminars.
4. Select the number of suggestions
You can choose how many debate topics to generate:
1
5
10
📋 Handy when dividing the class into groups or if you want to let students choose a topic themselves.
5. (Optional) Choose the language
You can have the AI generate topics in another language, such as English, French or Spanish – perfect for modern foreign language classes or bilingual education.
6. Click “Generate Debate Topics”
The AI will instantly provide a list of suitable discussion topics or debate statements that you can use, adapt or display.
Example
You enter: Social media
You choose:
Statements: Yes
Suggestions: 5
Level: Secondary (KS4/GCSE)
The AI generates examples such as:
“Social media does more harm than good.”
“Everyone should pass a test before using social platforms.”
“Social media is more influential than traditional media.”
Perfect for group work or a structured class debate.
When to use this AI tool
✅ Useful for:
Preparing debates or discussions (e.g. Oxford-style, roleplay)
Introducing controversial or societal topics
Citizenship education, English, PSHE, mentor sessions
Practising speaking, listening, reasoning and collaboration skills
🚫 Not ideal for:
Lessons focused on factual content with little room for interpretation
Subjects that don’t lend themselves to discussion (e.g. procedural maths)