Teaching with socio-scientific issues can be a challenge given the tug-of-war between the scientific, social, economic, and political perspectives upon which many topics can be viewed. However, in an Earth science classroom, socio-scientific issues provide a rich stage upon which various lines of scientific evidence can be weighed against alternative viewpoints. This article describes how a Model-Evidence Link (MEL) lesson can effectively be used to assist learners in weighing the plausibility of different viewpoints of the uses of wetlands, a socio-scientific issue.
Holzer, M. A., Lombardi, D., & Bailey, J. M. (2016). Wetlands: Good or bad? Evaluating competing models. The Earth Scientist, 32(2), 17-21.