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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 725 · 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 weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.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) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  4. 4.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.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
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  10. 10.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  11. 11.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  12. 12.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  16. 16.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  21. 21.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.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
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  27. 27.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) hide the source (c) check where it came from (d) make it bigger
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  29. 29.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a guess (c) a chat forward (d) the city water board
  32. 32.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) funny and short (c) loud and long (d) relevant and reliable
  39. 39.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence

Answer key

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

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