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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 961 · 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: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) an unsigned poster (b) the city water board (c) a guess (d) a chat forward
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  4. 4.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) relevant and reliable (b) loud and long (c) funny and short (d) old and vague
  5. 5.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  6. 6.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  9. 9.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable
  11. 11.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  12. 12.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  15. 15.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  16. 16.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.🔎 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
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  20. 20.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.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) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  26. 26.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Some people say it helps somehow.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  31. 31.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  33. 33.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.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) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.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) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  39. 39.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  40. 40.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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