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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 718 · 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.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  2. 2.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  7. 7.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  10. 10.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) an unsigned poster (c) a guess (d) a chat forward
  11. 11.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) make it bigger (c) check where it came from (d) hide the source
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  21. 21.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  22. 22.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  24. 24.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.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) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.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
  34. 34.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very specific (c) very strong
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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