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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 112 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  6. 6.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) make it bigger (c) round it to 100 (d) hide the source
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  8. 8.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  10. 10.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  11. 11.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  16. 16.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) an unsigned poster (c) a guess (d) the city water board
  18. 18.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  22. 22.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  23. 23.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  29. 29.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  36. 36.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. True
  2. True
  3. False
  4. False
  5. 30 of 40 students
  6. check where it came from
  7. not relevant
  8. True
  9. strong evidence
  10. relevant and reliable
  11. False
  12. False
  13. strong evidence
  14. not specific
  15. weak evidence
  16. True
  17. the city water board
  18. False
  19. strong evidence
  20. not specific
  21. not relevant
  22. not relevant
  23. True
  24. True
  25. False
  26. weak evidence
  27. True
  28. not specific
  29. False
  30. True
  31. False
  32. True
  33. True
  34. False
  35. not reliable
  36. False
  37. True
  38. False
  39. strong evidence
  40. False

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