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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 63 · 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: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  4. 4.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) old and vague
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  10. 10.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  13. 13.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) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  16. 16.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  20. 20.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a chat forward (c) an unsigned poster (d) a guess
  22. 22.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) make it bigger (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  24. 24.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
  25. 25.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  29. 29.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  30. 30.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.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
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  33. 33.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.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
  40. 40.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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