← Strong and weak evidence lesson New set →

Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 811 · 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 fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔎 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
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  9. 9.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  12. 12.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  15. 15.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  17. 17.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  19. 19.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) an unsigned poster (c) a chat forward (d) the city water board
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  22. 22.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) old and vague
  25. 25.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  29. 29.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  31. 31.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
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  33. 33.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  35. 35.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  37. 37.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

Free debate lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/debate-for-students