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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 226 · 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.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a chat forward (c) a guess (d) the city water board
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  7. 7.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.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
  10. 10.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) round it to 100 (c) hide the source (d) check where it came from
  14. 14.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  16. 16.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
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  23. 23.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  34. 34.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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