March 14th is Pi Day and I wanna do a thing. I want to teach our kids what Pi actually means.
Pi (π)…you know that thing kids proudly memorize as being approximately 3.14 or 22/7. I betcha though, if I asked most kids what pi actually represents, I think the majority wouldn’t know. So let’s teach it to them in a hands-on, fun, and memorable way.
Here’s what we did at our house…
Any pie: apple, cherry, pumpkin, sweet potato,…ummmm chocolate pecan pie…(sorry I got carried away in my thoughts there for a moment)…key lime, lemon meringue, peach…even a pizza pie will do. You choose. Store bought pies or pizza delivery will also work just fine…I won’t tell anyone!
Once your pies are ready, have your kiddos do two things: take the circumference and the diameter of the pie. Let’s break these terms down:
Since our pies are circles, it’s probably easiest to use a piece of string to measure the circumference.
Want to make it even cooler? Make two pies of different sizes. You’ll get to see how that ratio of circumference to diameter is the same no matter the size of your pie. Who said math can’t be cool?!
Want to get fancy? You can go a step further and learn how to use pi to find the area of a circle.
I will create a post on the Nicole the Math Lady Facebook Group. (If you’re not part of our closed FB group for NTML members, click on the link at the bottom of your email to request permission to join.) Post your photos/videos of your pies there. Help me create a little army of junior mathematicians who really understand pi. Can’t wait to hear how all about it!
Nicole
We are in!
Awesome!! Can’t wait to see the pics.
My 5/4 student loves the rare days we use baking for math. Maybe we will make the whole day Pi day and I will let her take charge of doing the math to double our recipe, complete the Pi activity, and call it a day. Thanks for the fun inspiration!
PS, my own Nicole loves her math now that we found your website. She always asks to do extra now!
So happy to hear it! I think your Monday plan sounds great.
Love this! We are forever missing the date or only remembering it day of! We are IN!
Can’t wait to see what you make!
We are in!!!
Fantastic!
So fun! Thanks for doing this, we are in!
Woohoo!
Great idea! Thanks!!!
Renee Herbert
Awesome. Thanks for participating.
I am drooling think of all the pies we HAVE to make. Best assignment for math EVER! We can’t wait. Coconut cream, chocolate cream, sweetheart cherry pie, I could keep going. 😋
It’s my homework assignment!…Best excuse to make and eat pies ever. Can I put a vote in from coconut cream?
i love coconut cream so much🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Yes me too!! So delicious!
This is such a fun and awesome idea!!! The kids will love it!! We are not on social media. Is there an email address where I could send a picture? Thanks for such a fun idea!!
Sure. Would you be okay if we posted it with the others on our FB page. If so, email it to info@nicolethemathlady.com
Yes, I am fine with you posting it on the FB page. Thanks much!
Great!
Yay, sounds like a great way to also celebrate my birthday which is Pi day!!!
That’s great and Happy Birthday!
We’ll do it!
Awesome!
This is cool.
Yay!
Well you asked the right person! I have 3 kids in your program and own a pie bakery as well. Farmhouse Pies in Bend, OR will be making some fun Pi Day pies and will post to the FB group!
Get out of town! That’s so awesome. Can’t wait to see all the creations.
that sounds awesome
That’s sounds like great fun!!
Yay!!!
Thank you so much we will do this tomorrow!!
Awesome. You can do it tomorrow…pi day is next Monday so you do have a few more days if you want to do it then.
We’re in!!
Woohoo! Can’t wait.
We are in! Thank you so much for making math fun and hands on! My daughter is really like math!
Awesome!
Please add me to the FB group for NTML members!!!
Just send you the invite. Can’t wait to see your pics.
Great ideas! My high-hopes want to make pizza-pi for lunch, chicken pot pie for dinner, and chocolate pu for dessert! 😋
OK…I’m flying in..set an extra seat at the table!
I think that’s just so fun!!!!!!!!!!! my family loves pie
nicole thanks for doing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nicole I love your hairstyle 🥰
This sounds fun. Do you have a video lesson we could use to go with it?
Circumference lessons start in the 7/6 textbook. You can use the magnifying glass to search circumference and you will see the appropriate video for your age level. I also posted a short video on FB yesterday that shows what to measure (it’s not really a lesson but the students can see what I’m talking about.) Have fun!
So fun, thanks Nicole the Math Lady!
Sounds like fun. We’re in!
Woohoo!
Can’t wait! We’re in!
Woohoo!
We are in !
Fantastic!
We are most definitely in!!!
Thank you for doing this!!
Awesome!
Sounds like fun! We are totally doing it!!!
Yes!
We are celebrating an early Pi day on Saturday because our co-op meets Monday.
We did pi day last year too! We had the cousins over and did a pi themed pot luck.
We had pizza pie, Sheppards pie, chicken pie, and of course a few dessert pies.
The catch…. the kids couldn’t have any of the dessert pie until they solved some pi related problems.
IT WAS A HIT!
Fantastic!
Sound so cool! I bet the little kids were like, wait what, math?!?!
Hi I have a niece and math is tough for her but if you can help me make it understanding for her I would love it
My name is William but they call me K.V
Hi, K.V. I would love to help your niece. Y’all should do a Free Trial and see if she finds my video lessons helpful. No credit card required. https://nicolethemathlady.com/free-trial/
I loved your pie day video! we made lemon ice box pie and eat a delicious pizza
Awesome!! I love it!
I love it!!!!!!!!!👍
Love this!
So excited to do this today!
cool
My b-day was march 7th. When I heard pi day was 6 days away from my b-day I was so surprised!
I THINK THAT I WILL TRY TO WRITE YOU LETTERS!
I look forward to receiving them!
I watched this and want to do this next year.
This video showed me CIRCUMFRENCE and DIAMETER. Even though I haven’t learned them in math yet, I understand them completely
Awesome!
I was not able to make a pie for I did not see this until after March 14! I was really bummed out! I did just want to note that the pie on the cover of this section looks absolutely amazing!!!!!!!
Hopefully this year you’ll get to participate!
Hopefully So!
I will save pie-making day for Thanksgiving!I under it,and I think it looks fun!
same here
And here! Definitely!
I am a student. how do you get to enter?
==
This is something you can do with your parents at home.
Thank you. Pi is one of my favorite math concepts, along with the thing where it goes 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, 2+3 = 5, 3+5 = 8, ect…
I have not done pi yet but it sounds fun
Cool! I’m planning on writing you (by letter)
Would love that!
Miss. Nicole how do I enter jokes?(There’s not a space to ask on the corny brain break page) It’s past the deadline…
Check with your parent first. If it’s okay, they can always send jokes to info@nicolethemathlady.com. Would love to see your jokes!
Cool ”pi” video Nicole
thank you!
hi nicole does your daughter still follow rosanna pansino and how old is your daughter
We have her cookbook and use it from time to time to make cookies. My daughter is now in college…(gasp!)
thanks nicole!!!!! i love rosanna because of your post!!!!
i think i will ask my mom if we can do pi day!!!!
I’m trying to convince my mom to do it tomarrow
Sorry, Nicole. I was on the wrong page.
P.S. I really LOVE your math website.