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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 823 · 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: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  4. 4.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  21. 21.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
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  23. 23.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
  24. 24.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  27. 27.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a chat forward (c) an unsigned poster (d) a guess
  29. 29.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  31. 31.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) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  34. 34.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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