Debate · lesson 3 of 24 · free

Strong and weak evidence — Debate and group discussion

Not all evidence is equal. Strong evidence is relevant (about the topic), specific (who, what, how many) and reliable (from a source you can trust, such as a school record, a textbook or an official body). Weak evidence is off the topic (“Mount Everest is very tall” in a homework debate), vague (“Lots of students like it”) or from a doubtful source (a forwarded message, a rumour, “my cousin said so”).

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Debater's tip

Relevant, specific, reliable — “strong evidence is on the topic, says exactly what, and comes from a source you can trust”

  1. Relevant: does it talk about the topic of the motion?
  2. Specific: does it say exactly who, what, where or how many? “30 of 40 students” beats “lots of students”.
  3. Reliable: can we trust where it came from? Records, textbooks and official bodies beat rumours and unsigned posts.

Use it for: Choosing evidence for a debate, a GD or a project, and questioning the other side’s evidence.

Worked example: 🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” → not reliable

  1. Nobody knows who wrote a forwarded message or whether it was checked.
  2. So it is weak because it is not reliable.

Check: Practise aloud: give one strong and one weak piece of evidence for “Our school needs more dustbins” and say why each is strong or weak ✓

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🏁 Lesson 3 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

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🖨️ Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

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