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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 79 · 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) a chat forward (c) the city water board (d) a guess
  10. 10.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  11. 11.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  12. 12.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) relevant and reliable (c) old and vague (d) funny and short
  13. 13.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  16. 16.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
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) check where it came from (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  21. 21.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  23. 23.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  37. 37.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  40. 40.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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