Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 250 · 40 questions

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.

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

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