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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 227 · 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.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  3. 3.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  5. 5.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  14. 14.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  17. 17.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) funny and short
  18. 18.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  29. 29.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) make it bigger (c) check where it came from (d) round it to 100
  31. 31.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) the city water board (c) a guess (d) an unsigned poster
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  36. 36.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  38. 38.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.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
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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