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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 799 · 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  2. 2.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
  3. 3.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  5. 5.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  7. 7.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.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) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) an unsigned poster (c) the city water board (d) a guess
  12. 12.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.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
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  17. 17.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) hide the source (b) make it bigger (c) check where it came from (d) round it to 100
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  22. 22.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  24. 24.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  26. 26.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) True (b) False
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  33. 33.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  35. 35.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  38. 38.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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