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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 516 · 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: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) funny and short (c) old and vague (d) loud and long
  3. 3.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
  4. 4.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  5. 5.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) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  8. 8.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  10. 10.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  14. 14.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  16. 16.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) round it to 100 (c) check where it came from (d) hide the source
  20. 20.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  24. 24.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  27. 27.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  29. 29.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
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) an unsigned poster (c) the city water board (d) a guess
  33. 33.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence

Answer key

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

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