Pi Day TWENTY TWELVE

March 14, 2012
(3.14.12)

Today 5th graders learned about pi through the process of reverse engineering.  They measured the circumference of many pies (thanks to everyone who sent one in) and then each pie's diameter.  Using this data, they divided the circumference of the pie by its diameter to realize that the circumference of a circle is a little over three times its diameter.  After calculating averages of their pi data, students saw how close they got to 3.14.   We then had some dessert of pies for lunch, while listining to a Pi song.

Later in the afternoon, students in several intervention groups read about the history of pi and how past mathematicians made errors in their work, although their calculations were quite close.  Working on high-level reading skills while focusing on a hot topic of the day kept kids engaged.

In math intervention, students applied their new knowledge of pi and calculated the circumference and area of circles using pi in formulas.  Following this, they became engaged into a challenge of memorizing as many places of pi as they can in one day (for fun, not a grade) by watching a music video off a spoof of Lose Yourself.

The goal of today for me was to excite the children about pi, but also put an event and activity with the meaning of pi for future math lessons in later grades (I had many 6th graders come by and wish me Happy Pi Day today).

So......Happy Pi Day!