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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 257 · 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.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  2. 2.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) hide the source (c) check where it came from (d) make it bigger
  9. 9.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.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
  11. 11.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  12. 12.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  24. 24.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) the city water board (c) a guess (d) a chat forward
  29. 29.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  34. 34.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.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
  36. 36.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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