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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 542 · 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: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a chat forward (c) a guess (d) the city water board
  4. 4.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) make it bigger (c) hide the source (d) check where it came from
  5. 5.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  7. 7.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.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
  9. 9.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) funny and short (c) loud and long (d) old and vague
  10. 10.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  18. 18.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  21. 21.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  27. 27.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.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) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  34. 34.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
  35. 35.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence

Answer key

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

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