Descriptive essay topics

Describe your favorite place.

Describe the house in which you grew up.
Describe what the first house on the moon would look like.
Describe some of your favorite places in your hometown.
Describe a peaceful place that youve visited.
Describe a place that exists only in your imagination.
Describe a friends or family members house where you enjoy spending time.
Describe your perfect fantasy vacation destination.
Describe a museum that youve visited recently.
Describe a place you have dreamed about that doesnt exist in real life.
Describe a place where your pet likes spending time.
Describe a famous person that you would like to meet.
Describe one aspect of someone that you like (for example: laugh, style of dress, words that the
person likes to use, etc.)
Describe yourself to someone who has never met you.
Describe the average human to an alien who has never before seen a person.
Look at some old family photos and describe an older family member as he or she was when at your
age.
Describe someone whom you miss.
Describe an object that is special to you.
Give a tour of one room in your house by describing the most important objects in that room.
Describe something that you would bury in a time capsule to tell people about what life is like today.
Describe an object that has been in your family for a long time.
Choose a piece of food to eat; then, write a description of it that includes the way it looks, smells and
tastes.
Describe a smartphone to a time traveler from the 1900s.
Describe your oldest memory.
Describe your best summer vacation.
Describe a memorable concert you attended.
Describe a memorable trip you took.
Describe a special time that you and your family had together.
Describe the first time you met one of your friends.
Describe a time you met someone famous.
Describe one of your happiest memories.
Describe one of your saddest memories.
Describe a time that you felt scared.
Describe a time that you felt excited.
Describe a time that something totally unexpected happened.
Describe a memory of someone whom you miss.
Describe one of your most memorable first days of school.
Describe one of your most embarrassing moments.
Narative essay topics

Your first day of school.

Your most exciting day of school
A field trip that your class took.
Your favorite summer vacation.
A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
A time that you experienced something spooky.
A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
Something funny that happened to you.
Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
Something embarrassing that happened to you.
Your favorite birthday party.
A birthday that was disappointing.
A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
A time that the power went out.
A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
A time when you went to an amusement park.
A time when you got lost somewhere.
A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
Your most exciting moment playing sports.
Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
A time that you experienced rejection.
A weird encounter with a stranger.
A random act of kindness.
A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didnt.
Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
A dangerous experience.
A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
A difficult decision that you had to make.
The end of a friendship or relationship.
The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Persuasive essay topics

Have humans become too dependent on technology?
Who contributes more to modern society: teachers or doctors?
Should gaming and casinos be legalized in all states?
Is the use of pesticides in farming worth the health risks?
Is the idea of the American Dream still attainable in todays society?
Should parents be held accountable/responsible for what their children post on social media websites?
Should corporations be required to engage in responsible citizenship, including environmental
accountability?
Is the Electoral College system still effective?
Are zoos important and necessary sources of conservation and research or outdated displays of exotic
animals?
What means of producing electricity has the least harmful impact on the environment?
Should the government be required to provide health insurance to all its citizens?
Should the drinking age be lowered?
Should guaranteeing medical care to all citizens be a responsibility of the government?
Does the general population have the right to access information about the private lives of politicians?
Should there be mandatory water rationing during drought conditions?
Should there be a reinstatement of the military draft?
Who was the most effective American president?
Who is the most effective current political leader outside of America?
Should there be body scanners at airports to detect weapons?
Is it more effective to volunteer your time or to donate your money to a cause you support?
Should corporations be allowed to collect an individuals personal data from social media sources
without their consent?
Are current methods of discouraging cyberbullying and harassment effective?
Should the government have access to tracking information through our mobile devices?
Who should bear the responsibility for making change in a society: individual citizens or elected
officials?
Schools and Education Essay and Speech Topics
Are private school vouchers helping our society to provide a quality education for all?
What is more effective: coed education or single-gender schools?
Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?
Should students be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning at school?
What role should current events play in a childs school curriculum?
What is the impact of school uniforms?
Does extended recess time have a positive impact on student health and learning?
Should sign language be taught to all students as a second language?
Should high schools have a later start time?
Should schools ban the use of cell phones by students during school hours?
What is the impact of assigning nightly homework to students?
During which grade should students begin to receive homework assignments?
What is the role social media should have in the school environment?
What is more effective, a year-round school calendar or a traditional nine-month calendar?

Should school officials be allowed to search students lockers and personal possessions?
Should students be grouped by age or by ability in school classrooms?
What is the most important subject taught in school?
Are there any academic benefits to the study of video games?
Are current methods of school discipline effective?
Should higher education be free for all admitted students?
Are standardized tests an accurate measure of student learning or ability?
What are the most effective ways to curb school bullying?
Is a college degree a requirement for success in life?
Personal Choices and Personal Values Essay and Speech Topics.
Which makes a better pet, a dog or a cat?
Have reality television shows changed peoples television viewing habits?
What is the best book you have ever read, and why was it so good?
Is it better to give or to receive?
Is it still important to teach manners and etiquette to children?
When should children be permitted to have their own cell phones?
If you won the lottery and could only donate the money to charity, which cause would you choose
and why?
Which lifestyle is more conducive to a happy life, urban living or country living?
Should children be limited to the number of hours they are allowed to play video games every week?
If you could time travel, would it be better to visit the past or the future?
Is it better to be a night owl or an early bird?
Do opposites really attract?
What is more important: earning a large salary or doing work that benefits other people?
Cause and effects essay
How does political fundraising influence political decision making?
What would be the impact of lowering the voting age?
Choose a recent event in American history that involved another country. What was the cause of
Americas actions, and what was the effect?
What causes people to choose to vote or to abstain from voting?
What would be the impact of allowing people to vote online instead of in person?
What aspect of society has been influenced the most by social media and technology?
What causes poverty in America?
What causes homelessness?
What are some of the effects of growing up in poverty for American children?
What are some of the effects of growing up in a wealthy family for American children?
What factors influence a persons decision to attend or not attend college?
What effect does choosing to attend college have on a persons life?
Does television affect societys perception of social issues (for example, same-sex relationships)?
Do protests and other social actions have an effect on social issues?
Is using social media a valid way to protest or raise awareness about an issue?
How has the increased use of cell phones affected our in-person social interactions?
How does scientific research affect the way food is marketed to consumers?
How does scientific research affect the way medicine is marketed to consumers?
What causes one product to be more popular than another product?

What is the greatest determining factor in a childs life on whether he or she will be a successful
adult?
What impact does frequent violence (either from war or street violence) have on a community?
What factors make certain communities more peaceful than other communities?
How does the First Amendment affect the way people use social media?
What causes divorce?
What causes addiction?
What impact does the term broken families have on children of divorced families?
What causes children to be placed in foster care?
Why do charitable organizations exist?
Why do food pantries exist?
Why do some people choose to bully others?
What causes someone to become truly excellent in his or her career, in athletics, or in another field?
How do music and art affect people?
Is exercise necessary for all humans to maintain their health?
How does a persons diet affect his or her health?
How does the place you choose to live affect your life?
Who has the greater effect on a persons life: family or their friends?
What has the greater effect on a persons life: the country in which the person is born or the persons
gender?
What has the greater effect on a persons life: financial status or health?
What is the single biggest factor that affects the environment today?
What causes climate change?
What actions need to be taken to make American a stronger country?
What actions need to be taken to make the world a safer, healthier place?
What created our planet?
What is the single largest impact that you think humans will end up having on this planet?
Why did people originally leave their home countries to explore the rest of the world?
How has human curiosity driven human progress?
Has human curiosity had an overall positive or negative effect on the planet?
What caused humans to domesticate animals for labor and companionship?
What are some of the factors that make the world feel smaller and more connected?
What are some of the factors that make the world seem large and difficult to wrap your head around?
Compare and contrast essay

Go on a luxurious vacation or build your dream home?

Run a restaurant or a clothing store?
Travel to outer space or the bottom of the ocean?
Play on an Olympic team or compete as an individual athlete in a sport such as running or skiing?
Eat nothing but dessert for the rest of your life or nothing but vegetables?
Know how to sing or know how to dance?
Have a lot of money or have a lot of friends?
Use only computers and no cell phones or use only cell phones and no computers?
Have the super power of flight or invisibility?

Live in a house made of glass or a house made of cotton?

Compare and contrast Americas approach to democracy to another countrys approach to democracy.
Compare and contrast the feeling of being afraid with the feeling of being bored.
Compare and contrast life as an elderly person with life as a small child.
Compare and contrast the impact of hurricanes and blizzards.
Compare and contrast the experience of being the president of the United States with the experience
of being an average homeless person in an American city.
Compare and contrast the influence of parents and celebrities on the opinions of an average teenager.
Compare and contrast the experience of being stranded in a lifeboat with that of being lost in the
Alaskan wilderness.
Compare and contrast the experience of being famous but friendless with the experience of being
well-loved but unknown by anyone other than your friends and family.
Compare and contrast homeschooling with public school.
Compare and contrast going to jail with paying a large fine.
Compare and contrast physical beauty with strong character.
Compare and contrast the demands of working as a surgeon and working as a miner.
Which is harder: living up to other peoples expectations or following your own dreams?
Which is easier: being a boy or being a girl?
Compare and contrast interactions via social media with face-to-face interactions.
Compare and contrast the convenience and environmental impact of commuting by public
transportation or by bicycle versus commuting by car.
Compare and contrast the cost and health benefits of eating organic foods versus eating conventional
foods.
Compare and contrast the effectiveness of detention versus additional academic assignments for
school discipline.
Compare and contrast the importance of speaking well versus listening well.
Compare and contrast the challenges of being a baby to those of being a teenager.
Traveling in a plane or a train?
Having a cat or a dog?
Having a small family or a large family?
Being intelligent or being happy?
Summer or winter?
Savory foods or sweet foods?
Movies or television?
Art or music?
Camping or staying in a hotel?
Paper books or e-books?
Cars or trucks?
Computers or smartphones?
Small towns or big cities?
Traveling alone or staying home with family?
Visiting a museum or visiting a library?
Giving or receiving?
Watching sports or playing sports?
Flowers or trees?
Walking or bike riding?