How to Celebrate Pi Day in the Middle School Classroom

Isn’t Pi Day every math teacher’s favorite holiday? I know it’s mine! Below I’m sharing ideas for celebrating Pi Day in the middle school classroom.

Read-Aloud

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, written by Cindy Neuschwander, is a perfect read-aloud. Join Radius on a search for a cure to save his father, Sir Cumference, who has been turned into a dragon. The cure involves discovering Pi! Click here for an affiliate link to purchase.

Lose Yourself in the Digits

This is my favorite music video to show students, as it is a spinoff of Lose Yourself by Eminem. Students learn facts about Pi while listening to this catchy tune.

Editable Math Inspires Us… Bulletin Board Kit

The Math Insπres Us… Bulletin Board Kit is designed to add a pop of flair to any bulletin board or door decor. It is the perfect display around Pi Day but can be used at any time of year. Students can write what inspires them about math/ mathematicians on the π symbols. Included are letters to spell out “Math Insπres Us…” and 24 blank black and white π symbols. 6 glitter π symbols are included for decorative purposes.

Pi Day Activity

The Pi Day Activity is a fun and festive way to celebrate Pi Day while practicing math skills. Students will measure the circumference and diameter of 5 round objects (supplied by the teacher or the students) and then calculate the ratio of circumference to diameter for each object. Students will then analyze the digits of Pi by creating a tally chart and a histogram to represent the frequency of the first 50 digits of Pi. Students will use the data and graph to identify patterns and draw conclusions about Pi. Finally, students demonstrate their understanding of Pi by creating a song, poem, story, etc.

Pi Day Class Photo

This free resource from Megan at Math with Meaning provides everything you need to create a class photo where students hold up the digits of Pi!

Final Thoughts

I love bringing the Pi Day celebration to a close by having a Pi digit memorization contest. Students receive the digits of Pi in advance and memorize as many as possible. In front of the class, students recite as many as they can remember. I usually give a small prize to the student who recites the most.