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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 839 · 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.🔎 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  4. 4.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) old and vague
  8. 8.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  18. 18.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) not relevant (b) very strong (c) very specific
  22. 22.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 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
  32. 32.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.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
  34. 34.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  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 its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) hide the source (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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