A series of three interactive sessions aimed at able KS3 and KS4 students. Each session explores the discovery of, use of and interesting quirks of different irrational numbers in a hands-on, fun way.
Each Session is 2 hours long and can be delivered to a maximum of 30 students. At the end of each session, students are all given a 'take-away' sheet of activities and questions for optional further study. The sessions have been designed as a series of three and would ideally be delivered on separate days. They can, however, be delivered as stand-alone sessions and booked individually.
Session 1
π
Probably the most well-known irrational number, pi continues to fascinate people 4000 years after its first known use. Go on a journey of the weird and wonderful methods that have been used to calculate this special number to more and more decimal places. Discover the formulae involving pi and find out how this popular number is celebrated in the 21 st century. A basic knowledge of Pythagoras' Theorem and Trigonometry in right angled triangles would be beneficial but is not essential. Students will need to bring with them a scientific calculator.
Session 2
e
Calculate the number e, the same way Jacob Bernoulli did in the 17th century. Marvel at the speediness of exponential growth and discover where the number e appears in unexpected places including the natural world and in probability situations. A basic knowledge of multipliers and repeated percentage increases would be beneficial but is not essential. Students will need to bring with them a scientific calculator.
Session 3
φ
Find out about phi, the number that defines beauty. Learn about its influence in Art, Architecture, Music and Marketing. Join a colony of rabbits to discover a sequence that is connected to phi and learn how plants use this mathematical number to survive. A basic knowledge of ratio and solving quadratic equations would be beneficial but is not essential. Students will need to bring with them a ruler and a scientific calculator.
