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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 606 · 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: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  4. 4.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  7. 7.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.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
  9. 9.🔎 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
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.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
  13. 13.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  17. 17.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  21. 21.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) old and vague (c) funny and short (d) loud and long
  23. 23.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  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) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) a chat forward (c) an unsigned poster (d) the city water board
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  36. 36.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.🔎 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
  39. 39.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant

Answer key

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

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