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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 203 · 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: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  2. 2.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  4. 4.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
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  15. 15.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  18. 18.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) relevant and reliable (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  19. 19.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) check where it came from (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  22. 22.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very specific (c) very strong
  23. 23.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak 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.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.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
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  38. 38.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) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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