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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 120 · 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: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a chat forward (c) a guess (d) an unsigned poster
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  8. 8.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  9. 9.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
  10. 10.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) make it bigger (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  13. 13.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  18. 18.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  20. 20.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  22. 22.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  25. 25.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) funny and short (d) loud and long
  26. 26.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  29. 29.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  37. 37.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.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) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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