Can pi be calculated through a game of darts? The video shows why this works mathematically and the issues surrounding the methodology. Once participants overcome errors, success through physics and mathematics leads to celebration.

Concepts

pi, proportions, random sampling

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Before the video, ask students to arrange themselves randomly throughout the room; most likely, they will space themselves equidistant rather than random—discuss the differences
• Discuss the problem they have with random aim

Classroom Considerations

• Avoid displaying the comments when showing the video as some are not appropriate topics for the classroom

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Includes closed captioning in English, French, and Hungarian
• Provides cross-curricular connections to physical science, physics, statistics, probability, and geometry
• Displays failure, continued attempts, then success

Cons

• None

Common Core

7.SP.C.7.b RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4