Education PI Math Game: PI T-shirt Contest

The science of math dates back hundreds of centuries. Probably to the dawn of man walking upright and being able to solve problems. The theory of pi can be traced back to ancient times when the Babylonians were attempting to calculate the area of a circle. This calculation dates back as early as 1600 BC. The Greek letter, that is now the symbol for pi, was popularized by the mathematician, Euler, in the 1700's

Every math education teacher is probably aware that the celebration of pi is held each year on March 14th to honor of the famous symbol that represents ... 3.14. A great idea for math teachers, to help math students celebrate pi Day, is to ask students to make pi day t-shirt decals to iron on t-shirts.

To make the pi education strategy more fun and maybe more effective, hold a pi Day t-shirt contest by asking other students in the school to vote on the best pi t-shirt. Best can be defined in a number of ways such as: the cleverest, the most intellectual, the most nonsensical, the most direct, the most circular etc. Below are a few pi t-shirt ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Education pi Math Game: Happy pi Day T-shirt

Have students bring a t-shirt in their favorite color to school. During math class, bake an apple pie or buy one already made at the store. Cut the symbol for pi in the top crust of the pie so that the pie filling enhances recognition of the letters pi when the pie is finished baking. Have the students take a photo with a digital camera on the close-up setting. This will ensure the details of pi are sharp. Load the picture into Photoshop or a similar photo enhancing program. Touch up the picture so the pi image in the pie will be clear on the t-shirt. Print the image onto iron on transfer paper that can be purchased at office supply stores. Iron the transfer onto the t-shirt. Iron on letters can also be purchased at craft stores to make the phrase, "Happy pi Day."

Education pi Math Game: It's pi Birthday

Purchase iron on letters at a local craft store. Choose colors that will go well with the t- shirt you are going to use. On the front of the t- shirt, arrange the letters into the phrase, "It's pi Birthday." On the back of the t-shirt, iron on the date 3/14 or "Happy Birthday pi" and the pi date of 3/14. The same idea can be used by creating the phrase on a computer program like Adobe Illustrator and printing it onto an iron on t-shirt transfer. The individual letters can be cut out of the transfer and ironed on. Using the iron on transfer method, you have more control over what style and colors you letters are as you are making them yourself on the computer.

Education pi Math Game: pi for LAdies

For a more feminine t-shirt, try using puff or fabric craft paint to decorate a shirt or tank top. Fabric and puff paints can be found in a large assortment of colors at craft stores. A large pi symbol would look great in the center of a tank top. You could also put small pi symbols all over a t-shirt with fabric or puff paint. Make it extra sparkly with glitter fabric paint. For some added pizzazz, glue rhinestone and craft jewels in the shape of the pi symbol onto your t- shirt.

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