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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 313 · 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: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) make it bigger
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  7. 7.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  13. 13.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  14. 14.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  18. 18.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  20. 20.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  24. 24.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  27. 27.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) a guess (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  30. 30.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  35. 35.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.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
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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