As Pi Day rolls around for yet another March 14 celebration, math teachers around the world work to create entertaining lesson plans for students of all ages. Aiming to explain the circular, non-repeating phenomenon that is pi, pi day is a great time to introduce the concept to students. After all, what’s better than learning about pi while eating pie?
1. The Obvious: Pie
An American staple, fruit pies of all sorts are widely known across the United States. Some pies have more filling than others, yet
they’re all the american pie we know and love. There’s even a song named after it. Obviously, Pi Day isn’t actually centered around the consumption of pie, but it can be a great way to celebrate. A generic pie like those easily purchased at a supermarket are likely to be round. Since pi represents the ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter, a circular pie is the perfect way to celebrate this.
“To celebrate, I’d probably have all of my students bake pies” said Amador math teacher Marisa Mejasich.
For anyone looking to get into the pie day spirit, try your hand at baking a pie. There are tons of simple recipes online, but if you don’t have the time (or patience) to make a full one, pre-made crusts are an easy alternative. Simply add your preferred filling and enjoy.
If baking isn’t your strong suit, you can always pick one up from a local bakery or grocery store. Then, using a ruler, find the radius of the pie (or the distance between the center and the edge). From there, try using the equation 2πr to get the circumference.
2. The Brain Challenge
For a challenge, try memorizing as many digits of pi as possible.
“I like [circles] because they’re never ending,” said Mejasich.
Like circles, pi too, is never ending. The irrational number poses quite a challenge to memorize as the order never repeats. Luckily for most, 3.14 is the most ever needed. For help, Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown over at ASAPScience — the same people who created the periodic table music video from sixth grade science class — have created another catchy video for memorizing the first hundred digits of pi.
3. The Movement Choice
Another, more active option is running or walking 3.14 miles, a little more than a 5k to commemorate an unforgettable Pi Day. If you want the full Pi Day experience, pick a circular path or running track. The track here at Amador is more oval shaped, but is the closest thing you’ll find to a circle in terms of running tracks.
And the .14
“I love circles,” Mejasich added.
On this Pi Day, take a moment to admire the silly shape that is the circle and don’t skip math class.
