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:

http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize-Pi

There are even pi trainer sites:

http://www.eveandersson.com/pi/pitrainer/

http://www.x42.com/cgi-bin/pitrainer.cgi

 

The contest will be held Thursday, March 13^th 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?

Go to this link: http://www.facade.com/legacy/amiinpi/

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:

www.mensafoundation.org

http://www.piday.org/

http://www.joyofpi.com/pilinks.html

Name_______________________________Teacher________________

π Day Reflections

What activity did you complete?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did you learn from the activity?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What questions do you have about pi?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Monthly Math Challenge

Did you know that Phantom Lake has a WONDERFUL math specialist? Well, we do! Her name is Laura Gaylord, and having worked with her in the past, I can tell you for sure, she is GREAT! She, along with the PTA, are putting together a monthly math challenge for kiddos who want to push their thinking in math. I highly suggest you give these a try with your child! Each kid that finishes even one problem will get a certificate.

One requirement is you use the R-E-C form. (Restate, explain, conclude). To find and print the REC form, click HERE

You can choose the problems that fit your child's needs, but challenge them to try intermediate problems if that's appropriate for them! Here are the challenge questions (also can be found on the PTA website as linked above)

I hope to see many of my kids turning these in as the month goes on! They can turn them in to me, or the office whenever they finish them, but no later than Sept. 30.

Phantom Lake Math Challenge

September 2013

These problems are labeled in order of increasing difficulty. Choose the one that fits your math and grade ability and solve the problem. People at home can help you. You will need to submit your answer using the R-E-C form. Be certain to put the letter of your problem, your name and your teacher’s name on the form when you submit it. All solutions are due to Mrs. Gaylord by September 30th. Bring your completed R-E-C form to your teacher. Students who successfully complete the challenge with the correct answer and a logical explanation of their mathematical thinking will receive a certificate and their name listed on the Math Challenge poster at school. Happy problem solving!!

Primary Problem A
To collect the amount of nectar needed to make 2 pounds of honey, bees must travel a distance that is approximately the same as circling the Earth 4 times. If we continue to compare distance in this way, how many times would the bees have to travel around the Earth in order to collect enough nectar to make 4 pounds of honey?
Primary Problem B
Each honeybee has 5 eyes! Three honeybees are circling a flower. How many bee eyes are around the flower? Five honeybees are returning to the hive with nectar. How many bee eyes are returning to the hive? Now there are a total of 30 bee eyes in the flower garden. How many honeybees are in the garden?
Primary Problem C
When a bee is looking for nectar to make honey, it can travel about 1 mile in 4 minutes. How far can you travel in 4 minutes? Time yourself while running or walking. Use this data to determine how long it would take you to travel 1 mile?
Primary Problem D
A productive queen bee can lay 3,000 eggs in one day. How many eggs would that queen lay in 5 days? In 27 days? How many days would it take the queen bee to lay 19,000 eggs?
Intermediate Problem E
The distinctive buzzing noise that bees make comes from their wings beating. A bee wing beats about 11,400 times in a minute to create this buzz. How many times would its wings beat in 1 second? How many times would its wings beat in 5 minutes. In 1 hour?
Intermediate Problem F
To collect the amount of nectar needed to make 1 pound of honey, bees must tap 2 million flowers. How much honey can they produce if they tap only 300,000 flowers? How much honey can they produce if they tap 1,750,000 flowers? How many flowers do they need to tap to make 24.5 pounds of honey?
Intermediate Problem G
Bees require 1/3 ounce of honey to make the wax for a 2 1/4 –inch birthday candle. How much honey would be required to make the number of birthday candles needed for your tenth birthday?
Super Duper Challenge
If a bee’s wings beat 180 times in 1 second, how many times do they beat in 1 hour? In one day? The life span of a worker bee ranges from 28 to 35 days. On average, how many times does a worker bee flap its wings over its entire life span?