Initial Publication Date: June 3, 2025 | File/Data Set Update: June 26, 2025 (see revision history: 3 events)

Soil & Food Security baMEL

The Soil and Food Security baMEL asks students to consider the role of soil in providing food for the world's growing global population. Soil is essential to human life. Not only is it vital for providing most of the world's food, it plays a critical role in ensuring water quality and availability. Soil helps to mitigate climate change and affects biodiversity.

Below are links to resources that will help students use the Soil and Food Security baMEL and learn more about fundamental scientific principles related to soil health, farming, and food security.

Overview

This slide deck provides an introduction to the Soils and Food Security build-a-MEL (baMEL). It is useful even if you are using the Soils and Food Security pcMEL with your students. The primary difference between the pcMEL and the baMEL is that with the pcMEL students are given two models and four lines of evidence in a preconstructed diagram where as with the baMEL students choose two models from three and select four lines of evidence from eight to create their own MEL diagram.

Activity 11: Soil and Food Security front slide

Soil and Food Security baMEL (Acrobat (PDF) 6.2MB Jun26 25)

Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations

MS-ESS3A-1: Natural Resources

Humans depend on Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geological processes.

MS-ESS3C-2: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

HS-ESS3A-1: Natural Resources

Resource availability has guided the development of human society.

HS-ESS3C-1: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.

HS-ESS3C-2: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation.

The Models

Model A: Increased knowledge has resulted in improved farming methods and soil health. These improvements will solve food challenges.
Model B: Our use of natural resources has negative effects on soil health. This places risks on food access for our growing population.
Model C: Soil is not necessary for food security. Other farming methods that do not rely on soil will solve food security problems.

Student Handouts

Soil and Food Security baMEL Model Plausibility Ratings (Acrobat (PDF) 147kB Jul10 25)

Soil and Food Security baMEL – Model Cards (Acrobat (PDF) 92kB Jun30 24)

Soil and Food Security baMEL – Large Model Cards (Acrobat (PDF) 137kB Jun30 24)

baMEL – Diagram (Acrobat (PDF) 183kB Jun26 25)

Explanation Task (Acrobat (PDF) 52kB May6 24)

Lines of Evidence

Student Handouts

Soils and Food Security baMEL – Evidence Cards (Acrobat (PDF) 29kB Jun30 24)
Soils and Food Security baMEL – Large Evidence Cards (Acrobat (PDF) 28kB Jun30 24)
Soils and Food Security baMEL – Evidence Texts Color (Acrobat (PDF) 4MB Jun30 24)

Other Resources

This Plausibility Ranking Task (PRT), which may be completed prior to using any MELs, helps students to understand the role of evidence in supporting or refuting models.