Showing posts with label mathematics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mathematics. Show all posts

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Schools : Pi Day ! Let's learn & have fun ? Resources & thematic activities !


Google Doodle Pi Day 2026

https://doodles.google/doodle/


Today marks National Pi Day in the United States and around the world. The holiday commemorates a timeless symbol beloved by many in mathematical and scientific communities, while making the most of the opportunities it allows for humorous wordplay, dessert and "teachable moments," as some experts have said.

The date today resembles 3.14159, the common approximation of the mathematical constant Pi, orπ.




Archimedes
Ancient Greek Mathematician, Physicist, and Inventor, Known for His Contributions to Geometry, Calculus, and Mechanics


The Doodle Pi Day 2026 celebrates the numerical constant pi (π), highlighting the foundational geometry used to calculate its limits in ancient times. Long before modern technology, the Greek mathematician Archimedes popularized an innovative approach: he approximated the value of pi by sandwiching a circle between two 96-sided polygons to determine its precise upper and lower bounds. Today, we honor this mathematical legacy as enthusiasts worldwide celebrate with pi-reciting contests and slices of pie.


Pi Day is celebrated annually on March 14, since the date written numerically corresponds with the first three digits of π . (Pi Day was particularly momentous in 2015, when the numerical date corresponded with  up to five digits: 3.1415.) It is also coincidentally the birthday of Albert Einstein.




Google Doodle Albert Einstein's 124th Birthday (2003)


Dividing any circle’s circumference by its diameter gives you an answer of pi, which is usually rounded to 3.14. Because pi is an irrational number, its decimal representation goes on forever and never repeats. 






In 2022, mathematician Simon Plouffe discovered the formula to calculate any single digit of pi. In the same year, teams around the world used cloud computing technology to calculate pi to 100 trillion digits. But you might be surprised to learn that for space exploration, NASA uses far fewer digits of pi.





via Science Sparks


  • What is pi?

Pi is a special number — so special, in fact, that most laypeople are probably aware of it, even if only as a relic of bygone classroom lectures or geometry textbooks. Represented in abbreviated form by the somewhat familiar sequence 3.14, pi, or the Greek letter π, is an iconic symbol seen in mathematical equations and, in more recent decades, merchandise like T-shirts, sweatshirts and coffee mugs.






William Jones. mathematician

credits :  Steven Wynn/ Getty Images

https://fr.wikipedia.org/


The symbol for Pi was first introduced by a Welsh mathematician called William Jones in 1706.

Anglesey-born William Jones as i told before was the first person to use the Greek letter  for the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. But who was this little-known figure?

William Jones a Welsh mathematician whose pioneering work left a mark on the world of mathematics and introduced a symbol that has become synonymous with the field, π, died on this day in 1749.

He would go on to make significant contributions to mathematics, particularly in the realm of trigonometry.

He introduced the use of π (pi) as a symbol for the mathematical constant representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Yet, it hurts my head, too.





Leonhard Euler, mathematician


Jones' use of π as the symbol for pi was adopted by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in the 18th century. It has since become universally recognised and is essential in various mathematical and scientific disciplines.


It is thought that he chose π either because it is first letter of the word for periphery (περιφέρεια) or because it is the first letter of the word for perimeter (περίμετρος). (Or because of both).




Palmarioriu mathesos 
William Jones
Photograph: Gareth Roberts
via The Guardian



On the back of his experience, he published his first book in 1702 on the mathematics of navigation as a practical guide for sailing. On his return to Britain he began to teach mathematics in London, possibly starting by holding classes in coffee shops for a small fee. Shortly afterwards he published Synopsis palmariorum matheseos, a book written in English, despite the Latin title.


Jones' work laid the foundation for a deeper understanding of trigonometry and the principles that underpin it. His contributions revolutionised mathematical notation and paved the way for countless mathematical discoveries.


Remember ! Teaching or having fun...

"Understanding Pi is essential if you want to make calculations for circles, cylinders, spheres, and anything circular, even an ellipse. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It doesn't matter how big or small the circle is - the ratio stays the same. Properties like this that stay the same when you change other attributes are called constants."


The Nobel Prize,
@NobelPrize







via Google Images Archive


  • Why is pi important ?


The ratio is beloved by math and science enthusiasts for a reason: Pi serves critical functions in many of the most basic and the most complex equations. It's necessary to calculate the area and the volume of everything circular and spherical, and it allows humans to measure the sizes of tiny things, like molecules, in a similar way it allows them to estimate the sizes of massive things, like Earth, the moon, other planets and the sun. Pi helps NASA engineers build spacecraft just as it helps scientists study newly discovered worlds. It's also fundamentally related to gravity.


Manil Suri, a mathematics and statistics professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said pi helps people understand more about the world, the universe and how they work.



via Google Images Archives

  • How to celebrate Pi Day : Some thematic activities


  • Eating pie, baking pie and perhaps observing the mathematical principles of pi using a pie are some thematic activities to enjoy. Pizza pies and dessert pies are both appropriate variations. 


  • A play on traditional "pie contests," pi contests are common on Pi Day and often involve competitions to recite as many digits of π as possible from memory.


  • But there are no right or wrong ways to celebrate Pi Day. For people around the world excited by the mathematical significance of pi and the broad potential for honorary puns related to it, there are plenty of ways to pay homage. 


The same goes for educators and students, although math and science experts do generally recommend using Pi Day festivities as opportunities to make learning more fun. 


G-souto

14.03.2026

copyright © 2026G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com



Schools : Pi Day ! Let's learn & have fun ? Resources & thematic activities by GinaSouto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


sources: NASA/ The Guardian / CBS News / Wikipedia / Google Doodles/

some images : Google Images Archive



Monday, February 24, 2020

Schools : Women in Science : Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan & Mary Jackson ! Resources








Katherine Johnson [1918-20209]
credits: Associated Press

The well known mathematician Katherine Johnson, who we know from the film Hidden Figures, based on the book Hidden Figures passed away today at the age of 101. 

Johnson is perhaps best known for helping NASA prepare for the orbital mission of John Glenn, but that was far from her only achievement or contribution to space exploration.







Portrait of Katherine Johnson
credits: NASA

"Katherine Johnson not only helped calculate the trajectories that took our Apollo astronauts to the Moon — she was champion for women and minorities in the space program and the world as a whole. We honor her memory today."

NASA

  • Katherine Johnson:




In 1953, after years as a teacher and later as a stay-at-home mom, she began working for NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA. 

The NACA had taken the unusual step of hiring women for the tedious and precise work of measuring and calculating the results of wind tunnel tests in 1935. 
 




Katherine Johnson working at the NASA Langley Research Center, 1980
credits: Getty Images

In a time before the electronic computers we know today, these women had the job title of “computer.”  

By 1953 the growing demands of early space research meant there were openings for African-American computers at Langley Research Center’s Guidance and Navigation Department – and Katherine Johnson found the perfect place to put her extraordinary mathematical skills to work.

NASA’s Langley Research Center, where Johnson worked for some 33 years, NASA will carry forward her legacy. Katherine Johnson believed in equality. She overcame obstacles to achieve great things and make life better for others.

She was portrayed in the 2016 Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.




Katherine Johnson [1918-2020]
credits: unknown

Education:

  • Books


Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly



Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly, 2017

This young readers' edition of Shetterly's #1 New York Times bestseller tells the powerful story of African-American mathematicians Dorothy VaughanMary JacksonKatherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, whose work in a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as 'human computers' forever changed the face of NASA and the country.




Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly
illustrations: Laura Freeman, 2018

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!




Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly
illustrations: Laura Freeman, 2018

Synopsis:

"Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.
They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

  • Film:


Hidden Figures
Thedore Melfi, 2016
Oscars 2017 nominee
http://www.imdb.com/


Read the books in the classroom. Choose the right one according to the age level you are teaching. You can decide with your students to read aloud some excerpts.
Ask school librarian the DVD Hidden Figures, nominated for 3 Oscars and display it into the classroom.
The story of the tam of African-American women mathematicians and scientists, Katherine JohnsonDorothy Vaughan  and Mary Jackson who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the US space program. 
Teachers can begin by reading the book or watching the film. It's your choice. Don't forget the activities adapted to the students you are teaching. It's important to enhance  your lessons by discussing gender equality in science and the right place of women no matter the race.




When asked to name her greatest contribution to space exploration, Katherine Johnson talks about the calculations that helped synch Project Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the moon-orbiting Command and Service Module. She also worked on the Space Shuttle and the Earth Resources Satellite, and authored or coauthored 26 research reports.

NASA




Hidden Figures
Thedore Melfi, 2016
Twentieth Century Fox




Hidden Figures
Katherine Johnson/ Tariji P. Henson
Thedore Melfi, 2016
LA Times/ Science Now
https://www.latimes.com/science/
"Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the Moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars."
Jim Bridenstine, Nasa administrator 
Katherine Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Then-US President Barack Obama later cited her in his State of the Union address as an example of the country's spirit of discovery.

Resources:

  • Autobiography




Reaching for the Moon
The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician
Katherine Johnson
by Katherine Jonson

Katherine Johnson’s story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures

Now in Reaching for the Moon, Johnson tells her own story for the first time, in a lively autobiography that will inspire young readers everywhere.


  • Videos:











“I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed … anything that could be counted, I did.”

 Katherine Johnson

G-Souto


24.02.2020

Copyright © 2020G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Creative Commons License
Schools : Women in Science : Katherine Johnson ! Resources by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.