Did you know there's a day dedicating just to celebrating pi? No, not the kind you eat, the mathematical constant π.
Pi Day is observed on March 14th since π is roughly equal to 3.14 (or 3/14 using the American date format).
Montessori children can study pi through rich, sensorial experiences where they're provided visual, hands-on, and even tasting opportunities!
Pi Day can be fun for children of all ages. Although young children might not understand what pi is, they can learn that pi relates to circles, learn to identify the pi symbol, and learn the first few numbers of pi. The Montessori Three Period Lesson can be used to introduce older Primary and Elementary students to the concepts of circumference and diameter. As children get older, they can explore that pi is a ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (approximately 3.14159) and that pi can't truly be calculated since it is an irrational number with decimal places that are forever repeating. You might want to even introduce them to the history of Pi Day, a perfect way to combine the Cosmic Curriculum with the study of mathematics.
Here is a great way to introduce the concept of pi:
Read Sir Cumference and the Dragon of π - In this story, Sir Cumference drinks a potion that accidentally turns him into a dragon. His son, Radius, must find a cure. Along the way, he meets Geo and Sym Metry, brothers who make wheels, he helps his cousin, Lady Fingers bake pies and he solves the mystery of pi.
Invite the child to try what Radius did in the story. Have them choose a round snack then ask them to take a piece of string and measure the diameter of the snack.
Ask the child to triple the length of the string, then cut it. You should have a string triple in length of the diameter.
Invite the child to wrap the string around the outside of the round snack. They'll find it won't reach all the way around; there's a small gap, just like when Radius tried to use three lengths of pie crust to make the outside circle of the wheel in the story. Three lengths isn't quite enough.
Ask the child how much more string they think they need to complete complete the circle. The answer? That extra .14159265359... that represents the number pi!
Here are some other fun activities children might enjoy to allow them to understand the concepts of pi in exciting, sensory rich ways:
Making a Pi Chain - Students used colored sheets of paper to make a chain showing the never-ending, repeated sequences of pi
Making a Pi Day Bracelet - Students used colored beads to make bracelets showing the never-ending, repeated sequences of pi
Making a Pi Day Necklace - This is a great stringing activity for toddlers and young preschool-aged children. You can help them place the beads or pasta on their necklaces in the right pattern to represent the repeated sequences of pi.
Pi Contest - A fun take on the traditional pie eating contest, this contest challenges elementary-aged children and older to see who can memorize and recite the most digits of pi.
Introduce Pilish - Tell elementary-aged children and older about a unique writing style that requires writers to use words whose length match the digits of pi. Here is an example that matches the first 8 digits of pi (3.1415926): "Hey, I want a juicy blueberry or orange." They might even want to try writing in Pilish!
You might even want to celebrate Pi Day in an extra special way, involving your child or your students in an exciting Practical Life activity of baking (and eating) a pie. What a delicious way to explore a math concept!
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