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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 646 · 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: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  5. 5.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) an unsigned poster (c) a chat forward (d) a guess
  9. 9.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  18. 18.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  21. 21.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.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) True (b) False
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  34. 34.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  35. 35.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 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

Answer key

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

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