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Monday, March 3, 2014

March Monthly Math Challenge

Greetings!

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!

 Pi is: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812...

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

How old would you be in pi years?  This site: http://pidays.jtey.com will check your work for you.

 

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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