The monthly math challenge for March has been released and it all centers around Pi Day (3/14). We don't use pi much in 3rd grade, but Mrs. Gaylord has constructed a number of fun activities for kids of all ages to start understanding pi!
See below for the challenge - there are 2 parts. Your child can do an activity then respond to the reflection, and/or memorize as many digits of pi as possible and recite them for a cool pencil!
March
Phantom Lake Monthly Math Challenge
Pi Day
Fun!
Introduction
Pi (π) is
the ratio of the circumference (the distance all the way around a circle) to
the diameter (the distance straight across a circle). Did you know it is always the same number? Pi
begins 3.1415, and no matter how many decimal places you travel, it never
ends! Because this number never ends and
never repeats as a predictable pattern it is called an irrational number.
March 14 is
Pi Day! (Because it’s 3/14; get it?) It just so happens that 3/14 was also
Albert Einstein’s birthday. In honor of this international celebration, you
have the opportunity to try out some Pi activities. Select the one that interests you the most
and turn in the Pi Day Reflection form by the end of the month.
For those of you interested in
participating in a Pi recitation contest, practice memorizing the digits. The
first 12 numbers are 3.1415926538. To see the first million digits, visit: http://www.piday.org/
Here is a great site to practice
learning the digits:
There are even pi trainer sites:
The contest will be held Thursday,
March 13th in Room#204 starting at 2:30.
You must get permission from your
teacher and a pass. You may come anytime between 2:30 and 3:00 to recite Pi and
win a Pi pencil. *Teachers, please send only 3-5 students at a time.
Thank you!
1. Pi Paper
Chain
Even the youngest mathematician can participate in the first
two activities!
Different colored paper strips are paired with numbers (e.g.,
blue for 2, red for 4). The strips are then linked in the order of π (3.1415…).
The chain can be as long or as short as time and interest allows.
1.
Pony Bead Bracelet
This activity is similar to the paper chain except students
can use plastic pony beads (really any bead or even snipped colored straws) and
pipe cleaners or yarn. Different colored
beads are paired with numbers just like in the paper chain activity.
2.
Cutting Pi
This activity helps students visualize what 3.14 actually
means. Find a cylindrical object (cans jars, and glasses or bowls), wrap a
string around the outside of the cylinder and cut the strong so it is exactly
the cylinder’s circumference. Take the circumference string and stretch it
across the diameter of the cylinder. How many diameters would you be able to
cut from the string? The answer should be three and a little piece left over,
or 3.14. (Activity from Disney
Family Fun, check out the site: http://spoonful.com/family-fun/who-doesnt-love-pi-day)
To find π with paper pencil, divide the circumference of the
circle (all the way around) by the diameter (the length from one side of the
circle to the other): C÷d=π
3.
Pi Ku
Write a p-ku, a three-line poem with three syllables in the
first line, one in the second, and four in the third.
4.
Pi Ku Plus
Write a poem in which each line corresponds to the number of
syllables in π-so you would have three syllables in the first line, one in the
second, four in the third, one in the fourth and so on. How many lines of Pi
can you write?
5.
Am I in Pi?
Enter your birthday to
where it appears in pi
6.
Your Life In Pi Years
7.
Beautiful Hyptrochoids
You can use a spirograph to make circles within circles. This
web site lets you try it with technology:
http://wordsmith.org/~anu/java/spirograph.html
I need to give credit to the
following web sites for information, ideas, and text:
Name_______________________________Teacher________________
π Day Reflections
What
activity did you complete?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What did you
learn from the activity?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What
questions do you have about pi?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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