Set Sail With a Pirate Ship STEM Building Challenge!

Get ready for a swashbuckling STEM building challenge that will have your students thinking like designers, building like engineers, and testing like scientists. With this printable STEM building resource pack, Year 5 and 6 students will take on a hands-on challenge to design and construct a pirate ship that can hold as much treasure (coins!) as possible—all while staying afloat.

This activity is perfect for introducing design and engineering concepts while encouraging creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. The ship that holds the most coins wins, but every student will walk away with valuable STEM skills and a sense of accomplishment!

What’s Included in This Pirate-Themed STEM Project?

This printable, paper-saving resource features a group of worksheets that are designed to introduce and guide students through the process of completing a Pirate Ship Building STEM Challenge. In this activity, students will use these templates to complete the following tasks:

• Brainstorming – Students will map out their ideas and ship features with different design concepts.
• Materials Planning: Encourages resourcefulness as students decide which recyclable and teacher provided materials to use for their ships.
• Ship Sketch: Provides space for students to draw and label their designs before construction.
• Data Recording: Students will test their ships and track how many coins their ship holds and compare results with classmates.
• Reflection: Students will analyse their designs, identify challenges, and think about improvements.

This resource makes STEM learning exciting and accessible by:

• Encouraging hands-on problem-solving in a fun and engaging way.
• Introducing key engineering concepts like material choice, buoyancy and balance.
• Promoting teamwork and creativity

Download and Print Your Pirate Ship Building STEM Activity Today!

This resource is available as a printable PDF and a fully editable Google Slides download. To get your copy, click the dropdown arrow on the download button and select your preferred file.

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator.

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