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Letting high school students respond to questions with their thoughts and ideas is an excellent way to foster a strong community in your classroom. High school students can think abstractly enough to have meaningful discussions about questions that they can apply to their studies and to their lives.
It can be tricky to engage high school students, so choosing the right questions is essential. These questions will help you get started.
Character and Behavior
- How can you show that you are dependable?
- How can you prove that you are responsible?
- What kinds of behaviors will help you get into a good college?
- What can you do to make your school a safe place for everyone?
- What does it mean to be respectful?
- What can you do to be your best self?
- What are some skills you’ll need to be successful in life?
- What kind of student do you want your teachers to remember?
- What quote would describe you as a person?
- What important lessons have your teachers taught you?
Would You Rather?
- Would you rather be class president or captain of a sports team?
- Would you rather control the weather or control the time?
- Would you rather be the funniest person in the room or the smartest person in the room?
- Would you rather have a robot that does your chores or a robot that does your homework?
- Would you rather go to college or to trade school?
- Would you rather have a class with your favorite teacher or your best friend?
- Would you rather write a 10-page paper or give a 10-minute speech?
- Would you rather live in a cabin in the mountains or a house on the beach?
- Would you rather drive a bus or a semi-truck?
- Would you rather have a desk job or an outdoor job?
Favorites
- What is your favorite place to shop?
- What is your favorite genre of movie?
- What is your favorite place to visit?
- What is your favorite candy?
- What is your favorite animal?
- What is your favorite thing to do with friends?
- What is your favorite brand of clothes or shoes?
- What are your favorite toppings for an ice cream sundae?
- Who is your favorite family member to spend time with?
- What is your favorite book or movie character?
Free Time/Hobbies
- What do you enjoy doing on a day off from school?
- What is the best sport you’ve every played?
- If you had a 3D printer, what would you print first?
- Do you have a friend who could teach you something new?
- Do you like hobbies you do alone or hobbies you do with friends?
- If you had to write one new nonfiction book, what would it be about?
- What would you do if you had an extra hour each day?
- What is something you want to do, but you’re afraid to try?
- What are an expert at?
- What are some hobbies you had when you were younger that you might like to try again?
Food
- What is something you could eat every single day?
- If you could invent a new fruit or vegetable, what would it taste like?
- What is the best snack to eat after a hard day at school?
- What is one food you never want to find in your lunch?
- What are some things you like to cook?
- What food have you never tried?
- What country do you think has the best foods?
- What is the best birthday meal or dessert?
- What foods bring back good memories?
- Have you ever had a bad experience with food?
Future
- What college do you dream of going to?
- What kind of job do you want to have?
- What would you like to name your kids?
- If you started your own business, what would you do?
- What will you miss most about high school?
- What do you want to do to change the world?
- If you could travel the world, where would you go first?
- What do you want your future home to look like?
- Who would your dream college roommate be?
- Which state would you want to live in and why?
Have You Ever?
- Have you ever written a song?
- Have you ever visited one of the seven wonders of the world?
- Have you ever won a contest?
- Have you ever survived in the wilderness?
- Have you ever gone on a vacation without your parents?
- Have you ever driven a sports car?
- Have you ever cried at the end of a movie or book?
- Have you ever had surgery?
- Have you ever grown your own garden?
- Have you ever met a famous influencer?
Use Your Imagination
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
- What fictional creature would make the best pet?
- What was your favorite fantasy story when you were little?
- What toy from your childhood would you most like to come to life?
- Would you rather meet Bigfoot or Yeti?
- If aliens exist, what do you think they look like?
- What would you do if you met a leprechaun?
- If you wrote a new fantasy movie, who would star in it?
- What is your favorite Disney movie?
- If you found a magic wand, how would you use it to change the world?
Thought-Provoking
- What is the best museum exhibit you’ve ever seen?
- What makes a good friend?
- What makes you nervous?
- What is the best part of working in a group?
- What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you?
- What famous person from history would you most like to meet?
- What do you think about when you can’t fall asleep?
- What color represents you and why?
- What can your teachers do to support you?
- What is one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Just for Fun
- If you could travel back in time, where would you go?
- If you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you choose and why?
- What do you wish for the most?
- What is the coolest thing you’ve ever made?
- What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?
- What could you talk about all day long without getting tired of it?
- When do you think a person becomes an adult?
- What do you think the world will be like in 100 years?
- If you could rewrite the ending of any movie, what would the new ending be?
- What is the most valuable thing in your life?
High schoolers are still kids, but they long to be adults. There is a fine line between questions that get high school students thinking and questions that make them feel like little kids. These 100 questions are perfect for high school and will encourage discussion and thoughtful answers!
