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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 267 · 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: 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
  2. 2.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) funny and short
  6. 6.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  9. 9.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  11. 11.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
  12. 12.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  21. 21.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 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
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  24. 24.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 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
  30. 30.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  36. 36.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  39. 39.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  40. 40.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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