Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 649 · 40 questions

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.

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

Free debate lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/debate-for-students