Pi Day is just around the bend, and if you are looking for ways to celebrate in your classroom, you have lots of fun and educational options for students at all grade levels!
If you are wondering what Pi Day is, the answer is simple—Pi Day is a celebration of the number pi.
Pi, annotated in math as π, is the relationship between the circumference of a circle and its diameter. To date, it is one of the most famous irrational and transcendental numbers—meaning that this number continues indefinitely past its decimal point with no pattern in sight. The first three digits, 3.14, correspond with March 14, often abbreviated as 3/14, hence the designation of this day as Pi Day.
Foods
Have a bit of fun on Pi Day, and honor this Greek letter with its tasty homonym “pie.” Ask your students to bring pie to school, or use a learning tool like the Super Sorting Pie. To make these treats educational, have the students measure the diameter of each pie to calculate its circumference and total area. Make a few differently sized pies so you have a range of numbers to play with.
Lessons
Whether you involve pies or not, consider using an interactive whiteboard lesson to explain pi to your students. Designed for students in grades 6-12, these lessons explain how to measure a circle’s diameter, and how to calculate the circumference of the circle using pi and diameter. The interactive component helps to keep kids engaged, which can be especially useful for struggling students.
Games
For middle school students who are ready for geography, consider introducing the concept of pi through a game like the Circumference of Circles Learning Center Game. This Learning Center is a ready-to-use resource for the classroom, afterschool programs, or home practice, review, and test prep for grades 6-9.
