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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 402 · 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: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a chat forward (c) an unsigned poster (d) a guess
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  5. 5.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) funny and short (c) loud and long (d) old and vague
  6. 6.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  11. 11.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  15. 15.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  22. 22.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.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) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 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
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  29. 29.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) hide the source (c) check where it came from (d) round it to 100
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  34. 34.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  40. 40.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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