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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

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

Answer key

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

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