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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 982 · 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.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  2. 2.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  3. 3.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) loud and long (b) funny and short (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  4. 4.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  5. 5.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) 30 of 40 students (b) lots of students
  6. 6.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) a chat forward (b) an unsigned poster (c) a guess (d) the city water board
  8. 8.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  9. 9.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) check where it came from (b) hide the source (c) make it bigger (d) round it to 100
  10. 10.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  12. 12.True or false: a survey of 300 students in our school is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A lot of water gets wasted somewhere.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  14. 14.True or false: In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) very strong (c) not relevant
  16. 16.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  18. 18.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  19. 19.True or false: a rumour forwarded in a chat group is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  21. 21.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on reading: “Trains run on tracks.” (a) not reliable (b) not relevant (c) not specific
  22. 22.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
  23. 23.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  25. 25.True or false: a story you are not sure about is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  29. 29.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  32. 32.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  34. 34.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  36. 36.True or false: In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “I saw it on a random poster once.” (a) not relevant (b) not reliable (c) not specific
  40. 40.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

Answer key

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

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