For all you math whizzes out there, today is a very special day--it's Pi Day! 3.14 Pi, Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th, seeing as Pi = 3.1415926535…
Even for those of us whose fortes are more...right-brained, math is always going to be an integral part of daily life (no pun intended). So why not spend Pi Day getting your calculate on?! Here are a few ideas:
- Test the Domino Effect. Watch the video above and learn how to use pi to calculate the number of dominos used in a domino spiral. Then create your own (slighly smaller) version and test out what you learned.
- Make (and eat) a Pie. Use your fraction skills and whip up one of these great pie recipes from NPR's Doreen McCallister. It'll make a very festive Pi Day dessert!
- Count Your Letters. Being a writer, I loved this idea that a teacher contributed to the official Pi Day website: "In class we are using the first 20 digits in Pi and writing a story using the numbers. For example, with 3.14 you would use a 3-letter word, then a 1-letter word, then a 4-letter word and so on."
- Meet Sir Cumference. Circumference, radius, diameter...if all this circle speak is a little over your little one's head, try explaining the concepts with the help of Sir Cumference! He stars in the books Sir Cumference and the First Round Table and Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, and he helps turn math into an adventure.
- Channel Your Inner Einstein. Albert Einstein, the math genius himself, was born on Pi Day--March 14, 1879. The city of Princeton puts on a four-day celebration in honor of Einstein and Pi Day. Check out their activities and re-create some in your own home or school.
Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools