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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 444 · 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.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  2. 2.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) check where it came from (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  3. 3.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  5. 5.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  7. 7.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a guess (c) an unsigned poster (d) a chat forward
  8. 8.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  16. 16.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  25. 25.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.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
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  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) False (b) True
  36. 36.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) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  40. 40.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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