Celebrating Pi Day

Each year I have a great time celebrating Pi day with my oldest students.  In the weeks leading up to Pi day, we do a simple lesson on measuring the diameter and circumference of a circle that helps them discover Pi.

Here is the record sheet I made for my students to use.  Click here to grab this record sheet and my lesson plan from google drive (FREE).  You can also get access to this printable and 19 other March MATH freebies as part of the Ultimate Math March Bundle FREEBIE

Here are some of the other ways we celebrate Pi day.

Activities and Videos

Pi day carols

Fun with digits

Mathematical Pi Song

Lose Yourself in the Digits of Pi

Books

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

 

This is a fun book from the Sir Cumference Series.  It is a picture book that the students love and it reinforces the idea of the circumference being a little more than three times the diameter.  My student love this book so much that a few years ago I had a group of students who re-wrote the book as a play and ever since there has been a group of students who perform the play as part of our Pi Day festivities.  

Pi: A Biography of the World's Most Mysterious Number

This is a book I share with interested students.  It answers many of the questions my students come up with about Pi.  It is written in an easy to read way and tells some about the history of Pi, stories about people's obsessions over Pi and different ways Pi has been used. 

Novelty Items

Over the years I have collected and made with students many novelty items for Pi day

Pi pie pan

This was a gift from a student several years ago.  It is fun for making a pi day dessert.  I am not a big pie maker, but for pi day, I like to make an exception. 

Pi Shirts

This is my Pi Day t-shirt.  It is awesome!  It really lets out my inner math geek and who doesn't love an excuse to wear a t-shirt to work? Every year there are more pi themed shirts to choose from. 

T-Shirt Markers 

These are a necessity when we do make your own Pi day t-shirts.  I have students bring in a light colored t-shirt from home or purchase a large pack of white undershirts.  Then they decorate their t-shirts with a giant Pi symbol and facts about pi.  Everyone wears them on Pi day and it makes fpr a great group picture.

Digits of Pi contest

Every year, we have kids who are super interested in reciting the digits of Pi.  I share a quick video like this one

Then I print and copy a list of the first few hundred digits of Pi and the kids who are really interested spend a lot of at home practicing.  

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How do you celebrate Pi Day with your students?  Please leave ideas or links in the comments below!