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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 99 · 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.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Lots of students like it.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  3. 3.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  4. 4.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.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
  6. 6.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a fact from our science textbook? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  7. 7.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) funny and short (b) loud and long (c) old and vague (d) relevant and reliable
  8. 8.True or false: “My neighbour heard it from someone.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  10. 10.🔎 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
  11. 11.True or false: the attendance register for the whole year is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) round it to 100 (b) check where it came from (c) hide the source (d) make it bigger
  15. 15.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  17. 17.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.True or false: “I saw it on a random poster once.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  21. 21.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: one friend’s guess? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  22. 22.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  23. 23.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  24. 24.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “My neighbour heard it from someone.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  26. 26.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  27. 27.True or false: In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  29. 29.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a story you are not sure about? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  33. 33.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  34. 34.True or false: “Lots of students like it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: the school library’s record of books borrowed is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  40. 40.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Everybody knows it.”? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence

Answer key

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

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