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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 487 · 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: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  2. 2.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) loud and long (d) funny and short
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  4. 4.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  7. 7.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) the city water board (c) a guess (d) an unsigned poster
  8. 8.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  13. 13.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  15. 15.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) make it bigger
  19. 19.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
  20. 20.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  21. 21.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  23. 23.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.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
  32. 32.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  39. 39.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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