March 14 Pi Day Classroom Spectacular!

Don't forget about March 14 - 3.14 - also known as Pi Day! Pi Day is a great opportunity for you to encourage exciting and hands-on learning in your classroom teaching about the radius, the diameter, and the circumference of circles. Pi = 3.14159265359... and keeps on going.... We really like to have fun with math. When you make math fun and applicable to real life for students, the principles come to life.

Just as a refresher...the circumference of a circle is determined by multiplying Pi times the diameter (Circumference = Pi x Diameter) . And the area of a circle is determined by multiplying Pi by the radius squared (Area = Pi x Radius²). Pi Day is perfect for exploring this seemingly magic math number. Give your kids challenges for determining area and circumference and then toward the end of class enjoy some pie of your own! Your students will go crazy.

You can also work backwards with these computations. If you know the area of a circle, divide by Pi to get the radius squared (Radius² = Area / Pi). And if you know the circumference of a circle, divide by Pi to get the diameter (Diameter = Circumference / Pi).

So why is Pi such a big deal? Because it works for EVERY circle! It's a constant, regardless of the size of the circle!

We like pie around here.
We especially like lemon meringue pie.

Sue remembers the Pi equation using this little formula:

Area = Pi Are Squared

No. Pie are round. 
Cakes are square.


....We're working with some real jokers here...

For some great classroom activities, check out our Pi Day Spectacular just in time for you to whip together an impressive and fun day for Pi Day on March 14! Students especially enjoy celebrating with pie or pizza pie at the end of the day! Lemon meringue, anyone?

Get Kids Excited About Math Right at the Beginning of the School Year!

I find my students that love math are always excited to do math, but the beginning of the school year presents an opportunity to get the kids that are not-so-crazy about math excited and interested right away. I play tons of little math games with my kids. One way kids can improve their math skills is by identifying patterns. After all, math is nothing but pattern recognition!

Kids love a challenge in which they can practice trial and error and hone their skills at solving a problem. For example, I play a game called "1 to 1,000". In the game, I think of a single number between 1 and 1,000. Students are allowed to ask up to 10 questions to help them determine what that number is. Give it a try in the classroom. The kids will eventually refine their skills to ask questions that narrow the window.

Two other games I play are:

Veintiuno is a challenging game that can be used in English or Spanish. Students need to problem solve and determine the pattern to win the game. It’s a difficult game because the kids must figure out the pattern in their minds without seeing any concrete objects. I use it at the end of the day or end of the class as a challenge. I, of course, claim that I’m just lucky when I win every time, but the kids don’t believe it and are motivated to look for the solution. 

21 Chips! Play this game with students while waiting in line for the bus or at recess. Your students will be looking for the pattern but it will take some time, days, maybe even weeks, to figure it out!

21 Chips is a fun classroom game where players alternate turns using strategy to be the last to take chips. 

I use 21 Chips it at the end of the day or end of the class as a challenge. I, of course, claim that I’m just lucky when I win every time, but the kids don’t believe it and are motivated to look for the solution. Play this game with students while waiting in line for the bus or at recess. Your students will be looking for the pattern but it will take some time, days, maybe even weeks, to figure it out!

Give these games a try and help your students improve their problem solving skills and have fun with math!