Ancient Egyptian Merchants & Traders: Straw Boat Challenge STEAM Mini Project
 
In this hands-on Ancient Egypt project, pupils explore trade along the River Nile by taking part in a trading challenge and designing, building, and testing a straw trade boat inspired by Ancient Egyptian merchants.
 
WHY use this resource?
This project helps pupils understand how trade worked in Ancient Egypt, why the Nile was essential for transporting goods, and how merchants made decisions about value and risk. Through practical challenges, pupils develop problem-solving, teamwork, and explanation skills.
 
HOW does it work?
Using the CREATE framework, pupils explore Ancient Egyptian trade and goods, take part in a card-based trading challenge, investigate how boat design affects floating and stability, and then build and test a straw trade boat. Pupils explain their choices and evaluate which designs worked best.
 
WHAT’s included?
✔ Background information on Ancient Egyptian merchants and trade
✔ Curiosity starters and discussion activities
✔ Trade card game with roles and value combinations
✔ Straw boat investigation and testing sheets
✔ Step-by-step build guidance
✔ Presentation, reflection, and evaluation prompts
✔ Teacher guidance and answers
 
Duration
Approximately 3–4 hours of classroom time (flexible) or as a 4 week project.