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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 878 · 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: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  3. 3.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) an unsigned poster (c) the city water board (d) a chat forward
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  5. 5.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
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  7. 7.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  13. 13.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) not relevant (c) very specific
  15. 15.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  20. 20.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  24. 24.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔎 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
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  36. 36.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) relevant and reliable
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  38. 38.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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