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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 707 · 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: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  3. 3.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  4. 4.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) make it bigger (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  9. 9.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.🔎 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
  15. 15.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  18. 18.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
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  20. 20.🔎 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
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  27. 27.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  32. 32.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  33. 33.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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