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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 894 · 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.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  6. 6.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very strong (b) very specific (c) not relevant
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  9. 9.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  11. 11.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  13. 13.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) a guess (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  20. 20.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
  21. 21.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  23. 23.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  26. 26.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
  27. 27.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
  28. 28.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) relevant and reliable (c) old and vague (d) funny and short
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  30. 30.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  36. 36.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  39. 39.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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