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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 899 · 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 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
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) an unsigned poster (c) a guess (d) a chat forward
  4. 4.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
  5. 5.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  11. 11.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  13. 13.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) hide the source (c) round it to 100 (d) make it bigger
  15. 15.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  19. 19.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
  20. 20.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  23. 23.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.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) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  28. 28.True or false: one friend’s guess is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is weak 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  34. 34.True or false: “Some people say it helps somehow.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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