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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 189 · 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: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  4. 4.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  5. 5.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) the city water board (c) an unsigned poster (d) a chat forward
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) relevant and reliable (c) old and vague (d) funny and short
  11. 11.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  12. 12.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
  13. 13.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.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) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  23. 23.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  26. 26.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) hide the source (c) make it bigger (d) check where it came from
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  34. 34.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.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
  40. 40.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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