Overview of Lesson:
The students will go to a number of web sites. There they will do some navigating and research to find the answers to various questions regarding pi. They will complete the Pi Scavenger Hunt. The final question on the sheet will ask them to go to the "Joy of Pi" web site and write down certain digits in the pi decimal. Each child will have a certain number of digits depending upon how many children total will be involved in making the chain. Each digit will be assigned a color and the students will create their section of the pi chain, which will be assembled into one long chain at the end of the activity.
Standards:
Mathematics:
(See Standards Link for Complete Standards)
Number Sense and Operations- 6.N.2
Measurement- 6.M.5
Technology:
(See Standards Link for Complete Standards)
Basic Operations and Concepts- 1.1, 1.3
Social, Ethical, and Human Issues- 2.5
Technology Productivity Tools- 4.1
Technology Research Tools- 5.3
Student Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to describe what pi is and what it represents. The students will also have a good understanding of the actual value of pi and why we use 3.14 to represent pi.
Lesson 7 of 9
Length of Lesson: 1 Hour
Instructional Mode: Partner/Independent Activity
Multiple Intelligences: Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal
Essential Questions:
What is pi?
What does pi represent?
Does the value of pi ever change?
Why do we refer to pi as 3.14 when that is not the exact value?
Materials/Resources Needed:
- Computer lab with Internet access
- Pi Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
- Pencil
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructional Strategies/Procedure:
- The students will work in partners to navigate the various web sites listed under the Pi Links for the Pi Scavenger Hunt. They will be asked to answer the questions on the Pi worksheet. The worksheet leads them on a miniature scavenger hunt finding interesting facts about pi.
- The last question on the worksheet asks the students to go to the "Joy of Pi" web site available at http://www.joyofpi.com/pi.htm. The actual value of pi is listed on this site. The teacher will assign each student a certain amount of digits in the value of pi. For example, one student might have the first ten digits and then another student would have digits eleven through twenty. The digits on this site are separated into groups of ten to make it easier for the students to find their assigned digits.
- When the students return to the classroom the will follow the following key to put their part of the Pi chain together.
1- Red 5- Purple
2- Orange 6- Brown
3- Yellow 7- Black
4- Green 8- Pink
5- Blue 9- White
4. After each student completes his or her part of the chain, it will be
assembled in the correct order to represent the value of pi.
5. When the students have completed the entire activity they will pass in
their worksheets to the teacher.
Assessment: The students' Pi Scavenger Hunt sheets will be collected and graded for credit. The successful completion of the pi chain will prove that the students understand the extent of the pi decimal and why it is commonly referred to as 3.14.
Evidence that Student Learning Occurred: All of the students should have completed the scavenger hunt. The answers to the Pi questions on the worksheet were all located on the within the various pi links. Answering all of the questions will show that they learned new information about interesting pi facts as well as viewed the pi decimal and understand the extent of the decimal itself.
Technology Skills Required or Developed: Students must be able to navigate the Internet using Internet Explorer or an equivalent browser. They must be familiar with the "back" and "forward" keys to help in the navigation of the site.
Resources:
Bebak, A. (n.d.). Birthday in Pi. Available: http://www.façade.com/legacy/amiinpi/ [2002, April 12].
Blatner, D. (n.d.). Joy of Pi. Available: http://www.joyofpi.com/pi.htm [2002, March 23].
Blatner, D. (n.d.). Joy of Pi links. Available: http://www.joyofpi.com/pilinks.htm [2002, March 23].
Chun, T., Daniel, C., Kanoa, J. (n.d.). St. Louis Pi Day Page. Available: http://planetpi.8m.com [2002, April 12].
Encore Software. (2000). Math.com. Available:
http://www.math.com/school/subject3/lessons/S3U1L6GL.html [2002, April 10].
Ganas, B., Moore, G. (1995). General Pi Information. Available:
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/edu/RSE/RSEorange/buttons.html [2002, April 12].
Glosser, G. (1998). Available: http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol2/cirlce_area.html [2002, April 10].
Greaney. (2002). Available: http://www.expage.com/piinfo [2002, March 10].
Kariger, B., Fierro, D. (1995). On-line Dictionary. Available:
http://www.dictionary.com [2002, April 12].
Mudehwe, L. (n.d.). The Story of Pi. Available:
http://geocities.com/capecanaveral/lab/3550/pi.htm [2002, April 12].
Stinka, M. (n.d.). Mathematics Glossary- Middle Years. Available:
http://MathCentral.uregina.ca/RR/glossary/middle/ [2002, April 23].
Web Page Dedicated to Pi. (n.d.). Available: http://www.wpdpi.com [2002, March 10].
Winham, D. (1997). Pi Page. Available:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/5945/ [2002, March 30].
