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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 832 · 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.🔎 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
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  3. 3.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  5. 5.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) relevant and reliable (c) funny and short (d) loud and long
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  15. 15.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  16. 16.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) round it to 100 (c) hide the source (d) make it bigger
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  34. 34.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
  35. 35.🔎 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
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  37. 37.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  39. 39.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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