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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 610 · 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.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) round it to 100 (c) hide the source (d) check where it came from
  2. 2.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  3. 3.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  5. 5.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) True (b) False
  6. 6.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  8. 8.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) old and vague
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) the city water board (c) an unsigned poster (d) a chat forward
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very 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: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  30. 30.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.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) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  37. 37.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.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) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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