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Debate Worksheet: Strong and Weak Evidence

Debate lesson 3: Strong and weak evidence · Set 998 · 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.🔎 A fact about cricket in a debate on school uniforms is… (a) very specific (b) not relevant (c) very strong
  2. 2.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “Studies show things.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  3. 3.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on homework: “Mount Everest is very tall.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  4. 4.True or false: “My cousin said so.” is strong evidence. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” (a) not reliable (b) not specific (c) not relevant
  6. 6.True or false: In a debate on school gardens: “Cricket is popular in India.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🔎 Before using a number in a debate, you should… (a) make it bigger (b) hide the source (c) round it to 100 (d) check where it came from
  8. 8.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
  9. 9.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the attendance register for the whole year? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  10. 10.True or false: “A website with no name says so.” — this is weak because it is not specific (no who, what or how many). (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔎 Which source is most reliable in a debate on saving water? (a) the city water board (b) a guess (c) an unsigned poster (d) a chat forward
  12. 12.🔎 What makes evidence strong? (a) old and vague (b) funny and short (c) relevant and reliable (d) loud and long
  13. 13.True or false: the school nurse’s record of sick days is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔎 Which is more specific? (a) lots of students (b) 30 of 40 students
  15. 15.True or false: “A forwarded message says so.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “It is good for many reasons.” (a) not relevant (b) not specific (c) not reliable
  17. 17.True or false: a story you are not sure about is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.True or false: figures from the city water board is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school library’s record of books borrowed? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  20. 20.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? “A forwarded message says so.” (a) not specific (b) not reliable (c) not relevant
  21. 21.True or false: “Everybody knows it.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.True or false: “Studies show things.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: “Lots of people think so.” is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: measured results from our class experiment? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  25. 25.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) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: an unsigned post with no source is weak evidence. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.True or false: “I think I dreamt it.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.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) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: the school nurse’s record of sick days? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  30. 30.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “Lots of people think so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  31. 31.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: “My cousin said so.”? (a) strong evidence (b) weak evidence
  32. 32.True or false: a fact from our science textbook is strong evidence. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: figures from the city water board? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  34. 34.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: a survey of 300 students in our school? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  35. 35.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
  36. 36.🔎 Strong or weak evidence: an unsigned post with no source? (a) weak evidence (b) strong evidence
  37. 37.True or false: “It is good for many reasons.” — this is weak because it is not relevant to the topic. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: measured results from our class experiment is weak evidence. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: In a debate on sports periods: “Mangoes grow in summer.” — this is weak because its source is not reliable. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔎 Why is this weak evidence? In a debate on saving water: “My favourite colour is green.” (a) not specific (b) not relevant (c) not reliable

Answer key

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

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