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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 667 · 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.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) an unsigned poster (c) the city water board (d) a chat forward
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) relevant and reliable (c) old and vague (d) loud and long
  4. 4.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  10. 10.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  17. 17.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) hide the source (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  21. 21.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.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
  27. 27.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  35. 35.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) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.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
  38. 38.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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