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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 148 · 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: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) make it bigger (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  4. 4.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  6. 6.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) a chat forward (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  16. 16.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) loud and long (c) relevant and reliable (d) old and vague
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.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
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  22. 22.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  24. 24.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  27. 27.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  28. 28.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  36. 36.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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