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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 305 · 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? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) make it bigger (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  4. 4.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  8. 8.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) an unsigned poster (c) a guess (d) a chat forward
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  11. 11.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  13. 13.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  15. 15.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.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) True (b) False
  22. 22.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) True (b) False
  23. 23.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
  24. 24.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  32. 32.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  40. 40.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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