21 Pi Day Resources for your Classroom

Around the world, March 14^th (3/14) is recognized as the day to celebrate Pi, which, of course, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.  The “earliest known” celebration of Pi Day was in 1988 when physicist Larry Shaw and staff of the San Francisco Exploratorium marched around a circular space and then ate fruit pies! Since then, Pi Day has become a classroom and cultural phenomenon. Whether you are looking for activities to conduct in the classroom, special Pi day gear, or a unique video to highlight the occasion, keep reading for a plethora of Pi Day fun!

Let’s start off with lesson ideas offered by PBS LearningMedia that include background essays, class discussion topics, videos, interactives, and math in the real world! 

1. Pi & the Fibonacci Sequence 
   Designed for Grades 6-12
2. Calculating Pi with Darts | Physics Girl
   Designed for Grades 6-12
3.  Measurement and Geometry | Pi, Circumference, and Radius  
   Designed for Grades 6-12
4. Dunk Tank: Circles!
   Designed for Grades 6-7

Add in the Fun
Are you thinking about holding a contest to see who can memorize the most digits of Pi?  Why not make it even more interesting with a staff vs. student vibe?  Check out the following resources to assist you in this quest.  These are great for any grade!

5. Pi(e) Digits to 800 (stop motion) (1:59) 
6. Pi Day Quiz: How many digits can you name? 
7. 623 Digits of Pi *Super Speed* (2:15)

Experiment and Discover
Let students discover Pi for themselves with these simple tools: a can, string, and ruler.  Get inspired by a complete lesson plan, or replicate the experiment using an interactive video that includes an essential review of key vocabulary terms!

8. Discovering Pi Lesson Plan
   From LearnNC, Designed for Grades 6-8
9. Circumference | School Yourself Geometry
   Math interactive, Designed for grades 6-10 

A Musical Interlude
Perhaps you’d like to introduce music into the discussion. Witness for yourself as two different artists uniquely and beautifully bring Pi to life.

10. What Pi Sounds Like (3:23) 
11. Violin Music from Pi: A Piece of Pi (4:15) 

Videos that Hit The Mark
If you’d like to share a fun, short, educational video or infographic to highlight the Pi Day significance, these resources  hit the mark in more ways than one!

12. The Ultimate Pi Day Video and Infographic (2:45) 
13. 3 Ways Pi Can Explain Practically Everything (4:53)
14. The Pi Episode: Math bites with Danica McKellar (6:10)
15. 20 Facts about Pi (3:19)
16. Math Antics – Circles, What is Pi? (7:57)

Pi-sitively Unique
Are you still searching for something Pi-sitively unique?  Then search no more!  This final set of resources might be last, but they are far from least.  If you can’t find what you are looking for after searching these Pi-credible sites, then it is quite likely what you seek isn’t in Pi-xistence!

17. You Pour, I Choose 
    From 3 Act Math, a definite must see!
18. Exploratorium 
19. PiDay.org
20. Joy of Pi
21. Celebrate Pi Day with NCTM

Lorraine C. Harmer, MLD is a Mathematics and Leadership Specialist who has 20+ years of experience in the education industry. Selected as a 2016 PBS Digital Innovator, Lorraine is a cutting-edge leader who expertly teaches in both virtual and "brick-and-mortar" settings. She finds her greatest joy in guiding students and teachers to unsurpassed success! To learn more about how Lorraine can help your school achieve excellence, check out her LinkedIn or email her directly at lorraineharmer@outlook.com.