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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 339 · 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: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  5. 5.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  10. 10.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  12. 12.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  13. 13.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  14. 14.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  17. 17.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  21. 21.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) the city water board (c) a chat forward (d) an unsigned poster
  23. 23.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) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.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
  27. 27.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) funny and short
  29. 29.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  34. 34.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence

Answer key

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

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