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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 758 · 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: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  5. 5.🔎 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
  6. 6.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) funny and short (c) loud and long (d) old and vague
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  11. 11.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  12. 12.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  16. 16.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  21. 21.🔎 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
  22. 22.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  24. 24.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  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) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  29. 29.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  33. 33.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.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
  39. 39.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) check where it came from (c) make it bigger (d) hide the source
  40. 40.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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