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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 400 · 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: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 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
  3. 3.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  11. 11.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  12. 12.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  13. 13.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 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
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  20. 20.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.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
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  32. 32.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 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
  35. 35.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) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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