Celebrate Pi Day with the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Celebrate Pi Day on March 14 — right in the middle of Women’s History Month — by wearing purple to encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)!
Materials Needed:
- Craft supplies (aluminum foil, construction paper, craft sticks, markers, scissors, tape)
- Recyclable materials (cereal boxes, plastic bottles or containers, shipping boxes)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Part 1: Get set for some chemistry
- Dress to impress! Find something purple to wear and join others who will #DressForSTEM to raise awareness about the gender gap in STEM fields.
- Once you are dressed for STEM, it’s time to get in the spirit of Pi Day. Search for creative pies people have made to celebrate Pi Day.
- Did you know that making a pie involves chemistry? Find three more examples of chemistry around you.
- If you named some of the objects near you, give yourself a pat on the back (or some pie). Everything around you is made up of molecules: that’s chemistry!
- Next, watch a quick chemistry video to learn about Nitinol metal (shape-memory alloy). This special material is a combination of two different kinds of metal — nickel and titanium. Part of this combination changes shape when exposed to heat, while the other part is flexible and can change shape at room temperature. This unique material has many uses, from orthodontic braces and eyeglass frames to mechanical springs and cellphone antennas
Part 2: Dream up your own invention
- Now it’s your turn to create! Think of an invention you might design that can return to its original shape even after it has been bent or damaged (e.g., a self-repairing skateboard).
- Check out these prototyping tips to help you design and create a prototype of your invention using materials from around your home.
- Now, share your awesome work! Show your prototype to a grown-up in your home or on a video call!
What Are We Discovering?
Materials science combines chemistry, physics, engineering and other STEM fields. Materials scientists study the structure and properties of matter, including conductivity, strength and flexibility, and they apply what they learn to the design, development and manufacture of products.
National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductee Ruth Benerito invented wrinkle-free cotton while working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and her specialty was using cellulose chemistry to solve practical problems in the textile, wood and paper industries. Her research showed that when specific reagents were bonded to cellulose, the cellulose fibers would not form creases. The result was a cotton fabric with wrinkle resistance, and further research yielded many improvements to her initial discoveries.
Want to learn about more amazing women who patented world-changing inventions? Visit NIHF’s online exhibit, Celebrating Women’s History.
Looking for an exciting new way to explore STEM?
Thousands of children across the country have engaged in easy, at-home fun with our Innovation Exploration Kits™. Each kit offers tons of materials for endless exploration and creativity, delivered right to your door. To learn more, check out our website!