The most irrational day of the year is fast approaching, and we have lots of ideas for how you can celebrate 3/14 with your class. We’re sharing activities for all grades that will help your students solidify their circle knowledge. Read on to get inspiration for your Pi Day plans!
Elementary School
Pi Day Cookie Challenge
Challenge students to a Cookie Challenge where they must accurately measure cookies of various sizes and determine their radius, diameter, and circumference before eating them!
Celebrating Pi and the Knights of the Round Table
Read the fitting book Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander to the class, and then challenge your own Scholars to create a classroom Round Table. They’ll have to determine the dimensions for a table that will fit within the allotted space.
Middle School
Pi Day Scavenger Hunt
Get students moving with a fun Pi Day Scavenger Hunt! Review how to calculate circumference, radius, and diameter of circles using IXL’s Circumference of circles lesson, or use one of your own.
You can check for understanding with these IXL skills:
- BB.5 Circumference of circles (7th grade)
- V.4 Area and circumference of circles (8th grade)
In teams, have your students scour the classroom or school for circular items and figure out the radius, diameter, and circumference of each one in order to earn a Pi Day-themed reward.
High School
Pi Day and Buffon’s Needle Experiment
Are you familiar with Buffon’s Needle Problem? It’s a geometry problem that involves the probability that a needle dropped on the floor will cross a parallel line.
Warm up your class by practicing the IXL skill S.9 Area and circumference of circles, then introduce your students to Buffon’s Needle Problem with this video. Conduct your own Buffon’s Needle experiment using the procedure in this guide!
As a class, discuss how the reality of your experiments fits the theory.
All Grades
Race to Pi Mastery
If your students are already in possession of pi-related confidence, organize a Race to Pi Mastery! Assign students independent IXL skill practice on finding circumference, radius, and diameter of circles. Using Live Classroom, hold a competition to see who can master their assigned skill first.
Reward the first student to achieve mastery with a circular prize, followed by second place, third place, etc., until the whole class is finished and everyone has earned a small reward.
Get creative and adjust any of these activities for your class’s unique Pi Day celebration!