3.1415926535 = Πarty!

Archimedes. Ptolemy. Newton. Some of the most brilliant minds in history. United with many others around the globe and through the ages in their devotion to a single pursuit – pi. That’s not a typo. We’re not talking about apple, pecan, or lemon meringue varieties. We’re talking about 3.1415926535…and so on. And this March 14, you can join the worldwide celebration of Pi Day!

You’ve probably heard of pi. It’s the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. And it’s a pretty huge deal. Mathematicians have studied and restudied this number for millennia, and will continue to do so for the next thousands of years. Now, if you’re an English teacher or have a seven-year-old at home, you might think that Pi Day is something to skip over. But what’s the fun of that? There are plenty of fun and educational ways for anyone to celebrate.

• Though Ludolph van Ceulen didn’t spend most of his life munching on pizza – he accurately extended the known digits of pie to 35 and had them engraved on his tombstone – you most definitely can! Lead your students in a math lesson and celebrate with a slice of your favorite kind of pie. Don’t forget, English enthusiasts, that pi and pie are homophones…
• Another brilliant mind, Albert Einstein, shares his birthday with pi. Discuss Einstein and his contributions to science and mathematics.
• Teach about other math milestones and how history has changed through their impact: zero, calculators, the Pythagorean Theorem. Pick concepts that your class has or will study.
• Or, you can fully embrace the day and design a lesson about pi. Even if your students can’t understand what pi means, they will enjoy learning about the people who have studied it throughout history; they will also be fascinated by the applications pi has to the world.

Ready to get your pi on? Check out TeachPi.org for tons of great ideas and information. While you’re at it, take a look at some of our very own math bestsellers.

How do you plan on recognizing Π? Share your ideas in the comments section below!!