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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 890 · 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: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  3. 3.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  6. 6.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  9. 9.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) False (b) True
  10. 10.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  12. 12.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) make it bigger (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  14. 14.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  18. 18.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  20. 20.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
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  23. 23.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) the city water board (c) a guess (d) an unsigned poster
  28. 28.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  34. 34.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  36. 36.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  37. 37.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  38. 38.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) old and vague (c) relevant and reliable (d) funny and short

Answer key

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

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