Celebration Ideas and Fun-filled Educational Ventures for Pi Day

Discover the wonders of Pi this Pi Day with a host of engaging educational resources for students and educators alike. From captivating videos to interactive lessons and activities, there's something for everyone.

The celebration of Pi Day began in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium, and since then, it has grown into an annual event recognised by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009. One of the most intriguing activities for high school students is Activity No. 3, where they can watch a video titled "Why is the area of a circle equal to π r²? 2000 year old proof, but with pizza". This entertaining video not only explains the principles behind the proof but also features pizza, making the learning process more enjoyable.

For those interested in delving deeper into the history of Pi, the San Francisco Exploratorium offers an informative article, titled "A Brief History of Pi (π)". The story of Pi dates back to ancient civilisations, with significant discoveries made by physicists such as Archimedes, who was active before Isaac Newton.

PBS LearningMedia provides a wealth of Pi-related lessons and interactives, suitable for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. These resources cover a wide range of subjects, including trigonometry, geometry, physics, cosmology, statistics, and thermodynamics. One of the unique features is the use of pie and pizza in some activities, making learning more fun and relatable.

TeachPi.org, founded by math educator Luke Anderson, offers a variety of Pi activities, stories, music, lessons, and trivia. Anderson's alter ego, Pi Daddy, has even created a rap song titled "Lose Yourself (In The Digits)".

Mensa for Kids offers a Pi Day Palooza, complete with three lessons and 14 activities. These activities include making paper chains, trivia, greeting cards, and Pi Day cupcakes, making the celebration more interactive and fun.

For those seeking more advanced Pi lessons, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers illustrated Pi lessons to solve solar system problems. These lessons cover topics such as calculating the density of the asteroid Psyche and understanding frost in lunar craters.

In addition to these resources, a dynamic, illustrated explanation of Pi can be found on PiDay.org, providing clarification for Pi-related lessons. The lessons and activities are standards-aligned, shareable to Google Classroom, and include support material for teachers.

So, whether you're a student, teacher, or simply a Pi enthusiast, there's no shortage of resources to help you celebrate and understand Pi this Pi Day. Happy learning!