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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 414 · 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: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) round it to 100 (c) hide the source (d) check where it came from
  4. 4.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) True (b) False
  5. 5.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
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  12. 12.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  17. 17.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  24. 24.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) funny and short (c) old and vague (d) loud and long
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) a guess (c) an unsigned poster (d) the city water board
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  35. 35.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  38. 38.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant

Answer key

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

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