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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 944 · 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: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  5. 5.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) the city water board (c) an unsigned poster (d) a guess
  6. 6.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.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
  8. 8.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (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.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  12. 12.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  14. 14.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  15. 15.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) round it to 100
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  17. 17.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  18. 18.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a rumour forwarded in a chat group? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  19. 19.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  20. 20.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  21. 21.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  24. 24.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  25. 25.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A website with no name says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  27. 27.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.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
  33. 33.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
  34. 34.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  35. 35.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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