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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 903 · 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 homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  6. 6.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  11. 11.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) round it to 100 (c) hide the source (d) check where it came from
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  16. 16.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) relevant and reliable (c) loud and long (d) old and vague
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  18. 18.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  20. 20.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔎 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
  22. 22.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  23. 23.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  26. 26.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  29. 29.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  34. 34.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
  35. 35.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  37. 37.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I think I dreamt it.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  38. 38.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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