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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 376 · 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: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) funny and short
  4. 4.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a guess (c) the city water board (d) a chat forward
  5. 5.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  7. 7.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  16. 16.🔎 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
  17. 17.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  24. 24.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  25. 25.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.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
  27. 27.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  30. 30.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  32. 32.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.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) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  38. 38.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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