Celebrate Pi Day (and Einstein’s birthday) with your children during March Break

What is Pi Day? Well, if you ask the folks at Sylvan Learning in Halifax, they’d say it is a great day to hold a pizza party! If you are wondering why, it is because March 14 presents an opportunity to talk about math — Pi Day is the annual observance of the love of math and the mathematical constant Pi, commonly approximated as 3.14 (March 14 — get it?). It is also the birthday of Albert Einstein – what a great coincidence that presents another reminder to increase our efforts to be good math role models for our kids, active supporters of their math teachers, and coaches for their homework and study activities.

So what is pi? Oh, that special and versatile, constant number that refers to the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle. It’s always 3.14 (or 3.14159 if you want to be a bit more precise about it), so March 14 is a day when math enthusiasts use the occasion to bring attention to this useful number. The ones who are obsessive sticklers for precision stage their celebrations for March 14 at 1:59. Consider having a pizza party at your house — with the first cut being made at exactly 1:59 p.m. Your guests will remember 3.14159 after that!

Talking about Pi is a chance to help students connect a very abstract concept to real world situations, like pizza! There are many activities that Sylvan recommends for their math colleagues and students’ families to reinforce an understanding of pi. A few ideas are given here — and more can be found at www.mathforum.org and www.education-world.com, where you’ll find more lesson plans and family activities.

Here are a few ideas you can try at home:

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Compare the volume of slices taken from a round and a rectangular cake. Of course, first, you will need to make two cakes together and talk about the math associated with the recipes — maybe you even need to double the recipe to fill two pans. Then, imagine on March 14, at 1:59 p.m., having your children clustered around cakes of all kinds and eagerly, hungrily, doing the math. You could even put candles on the cake and sing Happy Birthday to Einstein! Invite your children to do some research about his life.

Compare the diameter of a pizza to its circumference. Cut a pizza in half — measure the cut with a piece of string. Cut the string to that length and then cut two more pieces of string the same length — lay them around the circumference of the pizza. Do they join? Not quite… try the same thing with some other circular objects. That’s where pi comes in!

Using colourful beads of many colours, make a pi necklace to reinforce the idea that some numbers never repeat or end. You could also make a paper chain with different colours of construction paper. You need a different colour to represent each number.

Educators everywhere are working to ensure a high quality of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education at all levels of schooling, recognizing that students today more than ever need an understanding of science and math principles. As we prepare our kids for the future, think about the need for scientists and engineers to engage in the scientific and technological research and development vital to our economic growth. We need technologically-proficient workers for a science-based, high-tech workforce.

Parents can play an active role in boosting their child’s math skills and Sylvan offers the following tips for helping children become more interested in math at an early age.

Make math connections to everyday life. There are many opportunities for children to see the value of math in everyday occurrences. Think of tasks that you do every day — rearranging a teenager’s room is a lesson in geometry, making a shopping list covers addition and percentages, and equally cutting slices of pie can teach fractions. The more parents talk about math while completing these tasks, the more students will realize its importance.

Involve your children in real-life family decisions. Encourage them to plan a family activity while remaining within the budget. For example, ask your children to plan a night at the movies or create a budget for the family vacation, or help divide up the bill at a restaurant.

Demonstrate your math ability. Think out loud so your child can hear your analytical reasoning. For younger children, count your change or discuss which measuring cup is needed when baking a birthday cake. For older students, calculate discounts when shopping or estimate how much money will be needed to fill up the gas tank.

Mathematize career choices. Casually talk about mathematics while highlighting the types of math needed in your children’s chosen careers. Video game designers, architects, doctors, football coaches, musicians and chefs apply math skills in their daily work. This highlights the real world applications of math while also stressing the importance of learning it.

Game on. Board games take the boring out of math by using playful competition to teach concepts like simple subtraction and more-complex multiplication. For older kids, try cards games like Spit, Crib or Bridge. Tablets and phones also give access to scores of math games — try 2048, Sushi Monster or Fisk. They are particularly engaging if students try to beat your high score!

Praise your children’s academic progress. Tell your children you are proud of their math efforts, even when they struggle. When students are confident in their abilities, they enjoy learning. That love of learning in turn leads to a willingness to try new, academic experiences.

Oh Number Pi

Here are words that you can sing to the tune of Oh Christmas Tree:

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, your digits are unending.

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, no pattern are you sending.

You’re three point one four one five nine, and even more if we had time.

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, for circle lengths unbending.

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, you are a number very sweet.

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, your uses are so very neat.

There’s 2 Pi r and Pi r squared, a half a circle and you’re there.

Oh, number Pi, Oh, number Pi, we know that Pi’s a tasty treat.

Parents looking for additional math resources and information can visit www.SylvanMathPrep.com.

Sylvan believes that any excuse to build interest in math should not be missed and so they are having a pizza party on March 14 from 12:30 to 1:59 p.m. in their Halifax centre and you are invited. Parents, students and educators are welcome to join us to talk about math and Pi. Call 902-422-7323 or email [email protected] to RSVP to the pizza party!

Give your children an edge by being informed about how you can help them be successful learners. Tips for parents about current issues in education – that’s what you’ll find here on the Edge. Whether it’s about homework, report cards or summer learning, we’ll have practical tips for you. And if you have suggested topics, we’re listening.