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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 191 · 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: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) a guess (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  8. 8.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  23. 23.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  28. 28.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  32. 32.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
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  34. 34.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  40. 40.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students

Answer key

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

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