← Strong and weak evidence lesson New set →

Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 528 · 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: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) a guess (c) an unsigned poster (d) the city water board
  3. 3.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  5. 5.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.🔎 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
  12. 12.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  17. 17.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) make it bigger (c) round it to 100 (d) hide the source
  18. 18.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.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
  24. 24.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  27. 27.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  30. 30.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.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
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  35. 35.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.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
  37. 37.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  40. 40.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

Free debate lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/debate-for-students