English Lesson on Pi Day

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THE LESSON ON PI DAY

Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Pi Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:


READ

Pi Day is on March 14. This is the day when mathematicians and geometry enthusiasts around the world get together and celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi. There are two good reasons to hold Pi Day on March 14. The first is that in the American date format, it is 3/14 and Pi, to two decimal places, is 3.14. The other reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he knew a thing or two about numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum staff walked around the circular spaces in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very little to do with Pi, unless you want to calculate the circumference of your fruity treat.

Pi is a letter of the Greek alphabet. The symbol was first used in mathematical calculations in 1737 by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion digits. It has countless numbers of digits. Perhaps more impressive is the feat of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European record for reciting Pi from memory to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also suffers from a condition in which he sees numbers as colours. He says Pi is particularly beautiful. The worlds of science, engineering and mathematics would be lost without it. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

geometry enthusiasts around

a.

two about numbers

2

There are two good reasons to hold

b.

places

3.

…to two decimal

c.

the circular spaces

4.

he knew a thing or

d.

the world get together

5.

staff walked around

e.

circumference

6.

calculate the

f.

Pi Day on March 14

Paragraph 2

1.

Pi is a letter of

a.

circle to its diameter

2

The symbol was first used in

b.

to 22,514 digits

3.

the ratio of the circumference of a

c.

mathematical calculations

4.

It has countless

d.

beautiful

5.

reciting Pi from memory

e.

the Greek alphabet

6.

He says Pi is particularly

f.

numbers of digits

LISTENING GAP FILL

Pi Day is on March 14. This __________________ mathematicians and geometry enthusiasts around the world get together and celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi. There are __________________ hold Pi Day on March 14. The first is that in the American date format, it is 3/14 and Pi, __________________ places, is 3.14. The other reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he __________________ two about numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum staff walked around __________________ in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very little to do with Pi, unless you want to calculate the circumference __________________.

Pi __________________ Greek alphabet. The symbol was first used in mathematical calculations in 1737 by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used __________________ circumference of a circle to its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion digits. It has __________________ of digits. Perhaps more impressive is the feat of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European __________________ Pi from memory to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also suffers from a condition in which he sees __________________. He says Pi is particularly beautiful. The worlds of science, engineering and mathematics would be __________________. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Pi Day is on March 14. This is the day when mathematicians and geometry __________ around the world get together and celebrate the mathematical __________ of Pi. There are two good __________ to hold Pi Day on March 14. The first is that in the American date format, it is 3/14 and Pi, to two __________ places, is 3.14. The other reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he knew a thing or __________ about numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum staff walked around the __________ spaces in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very __________ to do with Pi, unless you want to calculate the circumference of your fruity __________.

 

 

 

circular
constant
decimal
treat
enthusiasts
two
little
reasons

Pi is a letter of the Greek alphabet. The __________ was first used in mathematical calculations in 1737 by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used for the __________ of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion __________. It has countless numbers of digits. Perhaps more impressive is the __________ of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European record for __________ Pi from memory to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also __________ from a condition in which he sees numbers as colours. He says Pi is __________ beautiful. The worlds of science, engineering and mathematics would be __________ without it. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

 

 

particularly
 
digits
reciting
symbol
lost
feat
suffers
ratio

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

Pi Day is on March 14. This is the day when mathematicians and geometry enthusiasm / enthusiasts around the world get together and celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi. There are two well / good reasons to hold Pi Day on March 14. The first is that in the American date / dating format, it is 3/14 and Pi, to two decimal places, is 3.14. The other reasons / reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he knew a thing or two / things about numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum stuff / staff walked around the circular spaces in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very lot / little to do with Pi, unless you want to calculation / calculate the circumference of your fruity treat.

Pi is a letter of the Greek alphabet / alphabets. The symbol was first used in mathematical calculations in 1737 by the Swiss mathematics / mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used for the ratio of the circumference of a round / circle to its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion digits. It has countless / counts numbers of digits. Perhaps more impressive is the feat / feet of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European record for reciting Pi from memory to 22,514 digital / digits in just over five hours. He also suffers from a condition in which he sees numbers as colours. He says Pi is particular / particularly beautiful. The worlds of science, engineering and mathematics would be lost / loser without it. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Pi Day is on March 14. This is the (1) ____ when mathematicians and geometry enthusiasts around the world get together and celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi. There are two good (2) ____ to hold Pi Day on March 14. The first is that in the American date format, it is 3/14 and Pi, to two (3) ____ places, is 3.14. The other reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he knew a thing or (4) ____ about numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum staff walked around the (5) ____ spaces in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very little to do with Pi, unless you want to calculate the circumference of your fruity (6) ____.

Pi is a letter of the Greek alphabet. The (7) ____ was first used in mathematical calculations in 1737 by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used for the ratio of the circumference of a (8) ____ to its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion digits. It has countless numbers of (9) ____. Perhaps more impressive is the feat of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European record for reciting Pi from memory to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also    (10) ____ from a condition in which he sees numbers as colours. He says Pi is particularly beautiful. The (11) ____ of science, engineering and mathematics would be lost without (12) ____. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

daily

(b)

daytime

(c)

day

(d)

days

2.

(a)

reasonable

(b)

reasoning

(c)

reasons

(d)

reason

3.

(a)

decimal

(b)

dual

(c)

digital

(d)

decibel

4.

(a)

duo

(b)

pair

(c)

twice

(d)

two

5.

(a)

circling

(b)

circular

(c)

circles

(d)

circulate

6.

(a)

treat

(b)

threat

(c)

teat

(d)

tweet

7.

(a)

symbolic

(b)

symbol

(c)

symbolize

(d)

symbolism

8.

(a)

circular

(b)

circled

(c)

circle

(d)

circus

9.

(a)

digital

(b)

dig it

(c)

digit

(d)

digits

10.

(a)

suffering

(b)

suffers

(c)

suffered

(d)

suffers

11.

(a)

worlds

(b)

planets

(c)

globes

(d)

stars

12.

(a)

them

(b)

him

(c)

these

(d)

it

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

get erhogtte

2.

two good rsoasen

3.

American date ofmrat

4.

about esunrmb

5.

walked around the iurcaclr spaces

6.

lauectcla the circumference

Paragraph 2

7.

The osmybl was first used

8.

the oiatr of the circumference

9.

one trillion itdgsi

10.

the European redroc

11.

he sees nsmuebr as colours

12.

eincsec, engineering and mathematics

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

together and celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi. There are two good reasons to hold Pi Day

(    )

mathematics would be lost without it. Celebrate today with your favourite pie!

(    )

the circular spaces in the building eating fruit pies. Cherry and apple pies have very little to do with

(    )

its diameter. Computers have calculated Pi to over one trillion digits. It has countless numbers of

(    )

reason is that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and he knew a thing or two about

(    )

digits. Perhaps more impressive is the feat of British autism sufferer Daniel Tammet. He holds the European

(    )

on March 14. The first is that in the American date format, it is 3/14 and Pi, to two decimal places, is 3.14. The other

(    )

record for reciting Pi from memory to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also suffers from a condition in which he sees

(    )

Pi, unless you want to calculate the circumference of your fruity treat.

1  )

Pi Day is on March 14. This is the day when mathematicians and geometry enthusiasts around the world get

(    )

numbers. Pi Day started in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The museum staff walked around

(    )

numbers as colours. He says Pi is particularly beautiful. The worlds of science, engineering and

(    )

Pi is a letter of the Greek alphabet. The symbol was first used in mathematical calculations

(    )

in 1737 by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. It is used for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

the    get    geometry    around    world    together    enthusiasts

2.

14   March   on   Day   Pi   hold   to   reasons   good   two   are   There

3.

numbers    about    two    or    thing    a    knew    he

4.

walked    staff    museum    The    spaces    circular    the    around

5.

to    pies    do    have    with    very    Pi    little    apple

6.

letter    a    is    Pi    alphabet    Greek    the    of

7.

digits    to    Computers    over    have    one    calculated    trillion    Pi

8.

numbers    countless    has    It    digits    of

9.

22,514    Pi    from    memory    digits    to    reciting

10.

your    with    today    Celebrate    pie    favourite

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

THE PI DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about Pi Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Pi Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Pi Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Pi Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Pi Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

ANSWERS

Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.


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