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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 46 · 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  4. 4.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  7. 7.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
  8. 8.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  9. 9.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  11. 11.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  13. 13.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) old and vague
  14. 14.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.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
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  20. 20.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) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) the city water board (c) a chat forward (d) an unsigned poster
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.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
  26. 26.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.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
  28. 28.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  30. 30.🔎 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
  31. 31.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  35. 35.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
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  38. 38.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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