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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 279 · 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.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  3. 3.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.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
  8. 8.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  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) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  15. 15.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) check where it came from (c) round it to 100 (d) hide the source
  16. 16.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  17. 17.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a guess (c) an unsigned poster (d) a chat forward
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  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.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
  35. 35.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific

Answer key

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

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