Course Guide - USAID Teacher Education Project

) Have students measure around cylindrical objects, chart their findings, analysetheir results in order to come to an approximation of pi ("three and a little bit more").c) Allow students to develop the formula for circumference pi(d) = C.d) Help students understand the difference between direct measurement andcalculation by formula.4. Class Activitiesa) Begin by referring to last week's focus on the area and perimeter of polygons andirregular surfaces. Note that those same concepts also apply to another type of figure:circles.b) Students were asked to bring in cylindrical objects. After having mentioned thevocabulary relating to circles (diameter, radius, circumference) have students work ingroups of four to measure the diameter and circumference of the items they brought toclass.Provide some groups with a tape measure. Give other groups string and a ruler.Give each group chart paper with three columns labeled: diameter (d), Circumference(C), C divided by d. Have each group chart their findings.c) Discuss their "C divided by d" columns. What pattern do they see? What do theyremember about learning about pi in school? How does their direct measurementexperiment relate to what they had been taught? How did this activity help themunderstand what children need to experience in order to understand pi?5. Assignments (to be determined by instructor)