Well

So sorry I have not contributed yet. In addition to a Level 1 class, I am teaching a new course at our high school, and it has been crazy to say the least.

Anyway, we just finished up "Food" at our high school and have started "Well." One of the concerns that came up was the materials needed for the exploration in Activity 1. We could not find our timers, and the few we did find all had dead batteries. The suggestion was made to have students use their cell phones. Almost every phone has a stopwatch feature, which worked beautifully! The kids were excited that they were able to whip out their phones and not get them confiscated. The data we collected was actually very consistent; more so than with the timers we used in the past!

For funnels, a manila folder works great. Using an open folder, I make an arc using a radius of the desired opening diameter. Cut out the semi-circle, close the folder and tape the bottom edge. Kids have to be reminded to keep the opening as circular as possible, but the results are fantastic. They hold up to three liters - more than the required two. Plus, if the folders actually hold up to student use, you can "file" them away very easily. This has worked for me for many years. We had a great time, collected some good data and saved a bunch of time.

Happy SIMMSing!