← Strong and weak evidence lesson New set →

Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 910 · 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 strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  3. 3.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  7. 7.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  8. 8.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  10. 10.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong 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.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  13. 13.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  14. 14.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  15. 15.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) hide the source (c) check where it came from (d) make it bigger
  18. 18.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a guess (b) a chat forward (c) the city water board (d) an unsigned poster
  24. 24.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
  25. 25.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  27. 27.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (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: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.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
  38. 38.True or false: one friend’s guess is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

Free debate lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/debate-for-students