[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 196 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 196

Expressing support for designation of March 14, 2017, as ``National Pi 
                                 Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2017

      Mr. Foster (for himself, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Moulton, Mr. 
Stewart, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Quigley, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Clarke 
  of New York, Ms. Lee, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
   Texas, Ms. Jackson Lee, and Mrs. Torres) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for designation of March 14, 2017, as ``National Pi 
                                 Day''.

Whereas the Greek letter (Pi) is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference 
        of a circle to its diameter;
Whereas the ratio Pi is an irrational number, which will continue infinitely 
        without repeating, and has been calculated to over thirteen trillion 
        digits;
Whereas Pi is a recurring constant that has been studied throughout history and 
        is central in mathematics as well as science and engineering;
Whereas mathematics and science are a critical part of our children's education, 
        and children who perform better in math and science have higher 
        graduation and college attendance rates;
Whereas aptitude in mathematics, science, and engineering is essential for a 
        knowledge-based society;
Whereas according to the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science 
        Study (TIMSS) survey done by the National Center for Education 
        Statistics, American children in the 4th and 8th grades were 
        outperformed by students in other countries including Singapore, South 
        Korea, Taiwan, and Japan;
Whereas since 1995, the United States has shown only minimal improvement in math 
        and science test scores;
Whereas by the 8th grade, United States males outperform females on the science 
        portion of the TIMSS survey, especially in biology, physics, and earth 
        science, and the lowest United States scores in math and science are 
        found in minority and impoverished school districts;
Whereas the United States needs to reinforce mathematics and science education 
        for all students in order to better prepare children for the future and 
        in order to compete in a 21st century economy;
Whereas the National Science Foundation has been driving innovation in math and 
        science education at all levels from elementary through graduate 
        education since its creation 66 years ago;
Whereas mathematics and science can be a fun and interesting part of a child's 
        education, and learning about Pi can be an engaging way to teach 
        children about geometry and attract them to study science and 
        mathematics; and
Whereas Pi can be approximated as 3.14, and thus March 14, 2017, is an 
        appropriate day for ``National Pi Day'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a ``Pi Day'' and its 
        celebration around the world;
            (2) recognizes the continuing importance of the National 
        Science Foundation's math and science education programs; and
            (3) encourages schools and educators to observe the day 
        with appropriate activities that teach students about Pi and 
        engage them about the study of mathematics.
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