Square Pi Puzzle For Pi Day

Activities Brain Teaser lessons Pi Day Puzzles

Square Pi Puzzle For Pi Day

Since this side past times side calendar week is saltation break, my students in addition to I celebrated an early on Pi Day on Friday, March 10th.  Most of the activities nosotros did were my commons "go-to" pi solar daytime activities.  We had a contender to run across who could memorize the virtually digits of pi.  We wrote pi-kus (think haiku but amongst iii - 1 - iv syllables inwards each line).  We searched for our birthdays inwards the digits of pi.  We watched around pi solar daytime themed Youtube videos.  We ate agency also many sweets.

This year, though, I establish a novel persuasion that I HAD to try!  It all started when a I did a google images search for "pi solar daytime puzzle."  I ran across this "Easy As Pi Puzzle" from MathIsFun.com

Image Source: http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/as-easy-as-pi.html 

The solution to the puzzle notes that the puzzle was created past times Stephen Froggatt.

I copied in addition to pasted the puzzle to a Publisher file in addition to thence I could impress ii to a page.

I uploaded the file I created for this puzzle here.

I printed the puzzles on dissimilar colors of newspaper in addition to laminated them using my trusty Scotch laminator (affiliate link).  First, I cutting out the pi shapes.

Then, I cutting apart the pi shaped puzzles into the 5 private pieces.  Each puzzle went into its ain snack sized bag.  I purchase these inwards the biggest box Wal-mart sells.  They come upward inwards in addition to thence useful for all of the activities I practice for my classroom!

As I was cutting out these pieces, I was multi-tasking in addition to reading my electronic mail at the same time.

I opened Chris Smith's maths newsletter (subscribe past times e-mailing Chris at aap03102@gmail.com) in addition to establish the real same puzzle!

Image Source: Chris Smith's Maths Newsletter

Each pupil took out their pocketbook to honor 5 pieces.

I told them that their starting fourth dimension challenge was to brand a foursquare using all 5 pieces.  Some students protested that nosotros had already done this before.  I told them nosotros had done a similar puzzle, but this 1 was different.  If you're interested inwards to a greater extent than puzzles similar this, I recommend the 1-4-5 Square Challenge.  I also conduct hold a tub of tangrams (affiliate link) inwards my room that nosotros purpose occasionally.

I kinda persuasion making the foursquare was going to travel TOO slow because I was able to position it together on my starting fourth dimension try.  But, my students establish this to travel enough difficult!  Many of them gave up.

Here is how 1 of my students interpreted the foursquare challenge:

I had many students telephone telephone me over in addition to enquire if something similar this counted every bit a square.

See, hither is around other pupil bespeak me if this counts every bit a square.

Finally soul figures it out!  See, it is possible!

One of my students ended upward making an isosceles triangle instead of a square.  

The mo challenge for students was to conduct hold their 5 pieces in addition to brand the pi symbol.

I taped 1 of my uncut pi symbols on the board in addition to thence that students could run across just what the pi symbol was supposed to aspect like.  When I gave this challenge to my husband, he created a pi-ish symbol, but it wasn't just what I was expecting.

Usually my students' starting fourth dimension answer on seeing the pi cast was to country that it would travel impossible to practice using their 5 pieces.  They didn't believe me when I told them that I had cutting apart that real pi symbol to brand their 5 pieces!

Oh, I justice it is possible!

This activeness is definitely a pi-day keeper!  File uploaded here.

Pi-ku Poems: Pi Day 2017

Australia Pi Day Pikus Poems Student Work

Pi-ku Poems: Pi Day 2017

When nosotros celebrated our early on Pi Day (thanks to Spring Break!) lastly Friday, 1 of our activities was to write a pi-ku.  My students are familiar alongside haikus, in addition to thence they took to the action quite easily.  All I had to create was seat upward the syllable format on the SMARTBoard, in addition to they were off! 

I gave each pupil a 3" x 5" index card.  I instructed them to write their practise version on the lined side.  After checking syllables in addition to spelling, they were to write their lastly version using a colored mark on the unlined side.  

I had them record their pi-ku poems to the dry out erase board inwards groups past times degree catamenia for judging.  

First Hour's Pi-kus 

third Hour's Pi-Kus

Here are a few that jumped out at me.

Love that this 1 is pi 24-hour interval themed!

When 1 of the students figured out that my husband was going to live the judge, they went for the kangaroo theme.

This 1 was creative!

fifth Hour Pi-kus

This 1 was written past times the same pupil who wrote a poesy form rhyming exponents alongside bluish bonnets.

Here's some other pupil trying to larn the attending of my husband.  If you're non aware Macca's is what they telephone weep upward McDonald's inwards Australia.

Syllables aren't quite correct on this one...

I idea that this pupil had messed upward on the syllables for the starting fourth dimension line.  Then, my hubby reminded me that a lot of students pronounce my cite equally "Miss Carter" instead of "Mrs. Carter."

This 1 simply confuses me.

sixth Hour Pi-kus

So sad...

This one, too.

Ummm???

You odour similar shoes.

This 1 would live perfect if nosotros moved the words to a greater extent than or less a bit. :)

Love the donut 'o' on this one!

So, at that topographic point yous bring it.  Pi-kus 2017.  Already looking frontward to pi 24-hour interval adjacent year!

Mysterious Water Suspension

Demonstration Physical Science Pi Day Science Steve Spangler

Mysterious Water Suspension

I'm notwithstanding on a bespeak to construct clean out my drafts folder earlier the novel schoolhouse twelvemonth starts inwards a pair of weeks. As most of y'all know, final twelvemonth I taught 1 department of physical science. When I announced to my math classes that nosotros would live celebrating Pi Day, my scientific discipline kids wanted to know if they could celebrate it equally well. Many of my physical scientific discipline kids were also inwards my Algebra 1 or Math Concepts classes, hence I decided nosotros would produce something different.

I had lately attended a Steve Spangler workshop too had my heed blown past times simply about of his amazing demonstrations. Seriously, if y'all e'er lead maintain the run a hazard to encounter Steve operate his scientific discipline magic, produce it! I went to the workshop looking for ideas for my scientific discipline course of report too walked away alongside to a greater extent than ideas for my algebra class! 

I decided to boot course of report off alongside simply about floating water. 

Steve suggests using drinking spectacles or jars, but I decided to role plastic seek out tubes.

We also needed plastic H2O pitchers to tote H2O to our classroom (no scientific discipline lab way no sink).

Then, nosotros needed plastic tubs to grab our mess too playing cards. These are non my practiced playing cards, but a deck that is missing a few.



I did a quick demonstration for my students too hence allow them endeavor it for themselves.

After everyone had a turn, I had my students provide to their seats. I pulled out a pair of bricklayer jars too asked my students if they sentiment nosotros would live able to produce the same affair alongside a larger container.

The course of report was pretty split. Some sentiment it would work. Others sentiment to a greater extent than H2O would hateful to a greater extent than weight hence the H2O would autumn out.

I had 2 bricklayer jars, hence I invited a pupil to come upwards to the room too endeavor it alongside me. Playing cards were likewise small-scale to comprehend the opening, hence I made upwards a laminated laid of "Do Not Remove" cards.

I had 2 stations educate at the front end of the room alongside a tub, H2O pitcher, jar, too produce non withdraw card. 

The pupil volunteer was instructed to follow the exact same steps I modeled. 

Here they are: 

1. Pour the H2O inwards the bricklayer jar. Fill it upwards equally much equally possible without it overflowing. 

2. Place the "Do Not Remove" carte du jour on top. 

3. Carefully plow over the jar. 

4. Remove your hand. 

5. Be amazed! 

This is when things didn't actually acquire equally planned. As my students were amazed that the play a trick on had worked alongside the bricklayer jounce too a larger quantity of water, my "Do Not Remove" carte du jour accidentally brutal off into the plastic tub. 

And, the H2O didn't autumn out. 

The course of report gasped. This was impossible. How was the H2O remaining inwards the jar? One pupil defendant me of performing witchcraft too started making a motion towards the door. 

Of course, the pupil who was supposed to live next my every motion decided to withdraw their card. The H2O rushed out into the tub. Now the course of report was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than confused. 

At this point, I was feeling a fighting guilty. The course of report was wanting to rush upwards too examine my bricklayer jounce to encounter what was going on. I shooed them dorsum to their seats too invited the pupil volunteer to endeavor the activeness 1 time to a greater extent than using my bricklayer jar. As shortly equally they saw my jar, they saw my secret.  

Yes, at that spot is a secret. 

Before I could fully explicate the secret, this happened: 

Trust me. This video is priceless. 

Want inwards on the undercover of how to brand this work? Steve Spangler explains it best. Just shout out back what nosotros learned from the higher upwards video. Don't tip the jounce to the side! 

This was definitely a fun activity. The pupil inwards the higher upwards video didn't lead maintain likewise difficult of feelings over the experience because he begged to lead maintain the supplies to the component to exhibit the secretary. He ended upwards demonstrating inwards front end of the secretary, principal, librarian, too janitor! I had no clue until the principal called me aside subsequently to say me how cool my scientific discipline activeness was. 

One alert nearly this activity.  The resulting mess is massive!