It's time to get your Greek on! Today, math enthusiasts around the world are celebrating an entire day devoted to the one and only Pi. This infinite, non-repeating number represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Recognized on the day that holds its first three digits, 3.14, Pi is one of the most important and well-known math constants.
Pi was first used by William Jones as the Greek letter π in 1706; however, Pi Day wasn't created until 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw celebrated it at the San Francisco Exploratorium by marching staff around in circles and consuming desert pies. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing March 14 as National Pi Day.
Since even the U.S. Congress officially says Pi Day should be nationally celebrated, check out these website resources for some fun Pi Day activities you can do with your student:
EducationWorld.com – Find over two dozen Pi Day lessons by grade level. Additional resources include trivia games, songs, pizza projects, poems, and more.
TeachPi.org – This website has Pi Day crafts, food ideas, songs, projects, events, and a special fun with digits section.
PiDay.org -Listen to Pi-inspired music, eat Pi food, and find Pi t-shirts. You can also learn more about Pi Day events like the Princeton Pi Day Party and random facts about Pi. For example, did you know Albert Einstein was born on March 14?
Does your family have other ideas for how to celebrate National Pi Day?