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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 841 · 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) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  3. 3.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  5. 5.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  8. 8.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  11. 11.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  17. 17.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  18. 18.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  21. 21.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.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) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) the city water board (c) a chat forward (d) an unsigned poster
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  39. 39.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
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific

Answer key

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

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