Pi Day was celebrated in so many ways throughout the district on March 14. For Leilah Austin’s fifth graders at PBE, they had the opportunity to mark Pi Day by combining math, writing and art in a very creative way.

Ms. Austin’s class created math story books. They each chose a math topic – fractions, shapes, division, to name a few – and formulated a storyline. They created main and supporting characters, giving each a name and personality. They decided what grade level the story would suit; they could write for younger kids, older students or those on their level.

The students wrote a first draft of their math story, gave it a name and designed a cover for it. They even wrote a blurb for the back cover explaining how the book will help the reader learn about math. They named their book and illustrated it. At least one illustration was included on each double page.

Some students did the entire book by hand. Others typed them and drew illustration, while others used computer graphics or cut out magazine photos.

Each book was definitely unique!

The big day came – Pi Day – and the students were sharing their stories within small groups of their peers. There was a story centered on a toy shop, one that involved football and fractions and another that involved a very deep mystery – all centered around math. Some incorporated humor, some were very challenging with a question at the end of each page.

After each student read their book and shared their illustrations, their peers each wrote a Post-It note with one thing they liked about the story.

The students worked on their books for three weeks, mostly at home, being creative outside of the classroom. Their writing was descriptive and innovative; they did a deep dive into their math skills, some explaining the facts they learned years before to a younger audience while others perfected newer concepts for their peers.

It was a great, creative way to celebrate Pi Day for sure.