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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 320 · 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.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) funny and short
  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: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a chat forward (c) a guess (d) the city water board
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.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) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  14. 14.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  16. 16.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
  17. 17.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) hide the source (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  21. 21.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
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  24. 24.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  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: one friend’s guess? (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.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  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) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence

Answer key

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

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