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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 172 · 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  2. 2.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) funny and short
  6. 6.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  7. 7.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
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  9. 9.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  13. 13.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  18. 18.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) hide the source (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  21. 21.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  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 students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  39. 39.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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