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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 471 · 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: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  11. 11.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) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  15. 15.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  20. 20.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  24. 24.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
  25. 25.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
  26. 26.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  34. 34.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 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
  36. 36.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) round it to 100 (c) make it bigger (d) check where it came from
  39. 39.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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