Maths – Pizza and Measurement

What actually is π?

Well during our lesson on circle and sector perimeters with year 9s last week, students got to discover the relationship between circle circumference and diameter using rulers, string, and paper circle cutouts. 

Students found that when we divided every circle’s circumference by its diameter, we found a number close to 3.14159....or π.

Students then were presented with three pizza π’s, and thought that it was perhaps a classroom reward from the gods, or that their paper sketches of pizzas on the circle cutouts came to life...However before eating there was work to do.

We got stuck in with pizza cutters and scissors and cut the circumference (crust) off one pizza, and laid it across all 3. What we found was the circumference could be laid across the diameter of exactly 3.14159....or π pizzas. The tastiest display of Maths in our opinion!

Special thanks to the admin staff for assisting in facilitating this lesson, and also to Mr. Dunne for spending his free time helping capture the event, (and being event security). 

Thanks to the class of 9I for your continuous display of our school values of excellence, respect, excellence, curiosity, integrity, teamwork, and empathy shown in our classroom. You reap what you sow!

Mr. O’Sullivan

Year 8 SEAL 

The SEAL program at Brighton Secondary College offers a dynamic learning environment that empowers students to take control of their educational journey. The program encourages personal growth and development, enabling students to build a strong foundation of skills and competencies. With a focus on mastery, the SEAL program prepares students to unlock a world of endless opportunities and future success.

With these goals in mind, the year 8 Seal group took control of their skills and development in exploring measurement, through a practical project to design a parachute to save an egg from a treacherous 2m+ drop! 

In their practical project spanning over 2 weeks, explored Maths skills like Pythagoras’ theorem, surface area and volume, speed distance time, and percentage error, from a Year 8 context and beyond. Students encountered a wide variety of skills outside of written mathematics such as product design and testing. The deep learning outside of the standard written assessment is what the SEAL program at BSC epitomizes.

Attached are images of the students during test time, which was highly enjoyable, and nearly all students' projects were successful in creating a safe descent for their precious cargo!  We had a lot of fun in the process, and I’m looking forward to seeing future designers and engineers crop up in our upcoming topics! 

Mr. O’Sullivan