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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 669 · 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.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very specific (c) very strong
  2. 2.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) hide the source (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  3. 3.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.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
  5. 5.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  7. 7.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) a chat forward (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  12. 12.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  21. 21.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  25. 25.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.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
  28. 28.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  32. 32.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.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
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  37. 37.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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