Grade 6 Geography (CAPS): every topic summarised, Terms 1 to 4

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Grade 6 Geography is the Geography half of Social Sciences. Learners use latitude and longitude to find places anywhere in the world, explore why and what countries trade, compare climates and biomes such as rainforests and deserts, and study where and why people live.

Map and atlas skills run through the year. The History half has its own page, linked below.

Below, all 15 topics of our Grade 6 Geography (CAPS) course are summarised term by term, in the order schools teach them: what each topic covers, how to approach it, and the mistake learners make most often. The summaries are based on the course’s term Parent Memos, written in our own words, so nothing here gives away the answers to course questions.

Course status: available. Grade 6 Geography (CAPS) is one course for the whole year (Terms 1 to 4). Price: R100 per subject per year.

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The course at a glance

  • One course for the whole year: 15 topics across Terms 1 to 4 (4, 4, 4, 3 per term).
  • Every topic has a lesson, worked examples, a 15-question quiz with hints on wrong answers, and extra practice. Quizzes can be retaken, and there is no pass mark to fail.
  • Printables for every term: a Learner Coursebook to write in and a Parent Memo with the answers and explanations.
  • Listen mode reads each page aloud.

How marks are given in Grade 6 Geography

  • 1-mark questions check one fact, term or place: a definition, a name on a map, a date.
  • 2-mark questions usually want an explanation: a fact plus a reason (“because…”).
  • Source and map questions give a picture, map, table or short text. Learners earn marks by using what the source shows, not only what they remember.
  • Longer answers (paragraphs or 4-mark questions) earn a mark per relevant, correct point, so several clear points beat one long sentence.

Term 1: Map skills: latitude, longitude, scale and atlases

Term 1 builds global map skills: the grid of latitude and longitude, hemispheres, scale and distance, and using an atlas to find places and follow current events.

Term 1 topics:

  1. Latitude, longitude and hemispheres
  2. Finding places with latitude and longitude
  3. Scale and measuring distance
  4. Atlases, the world’s “top three” and current events
Read the Term 1 topic summaries (4 topics)

1.1 Latitude, longitude and hemispheres

Lines of latitude run east–west and measure distance north or south of the equator (0°). Lines of longitude run north–south and measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°). Together they divide the Earth into hemispheres.

Watch out for: Saying latitude lines run north–south.

1.2 Finding places with latitude and longitude

A place’s position is given as latitude then longitude, with directions, for example about 34° S, 18° E for Cape Town.

Watch out for: Forgetting the N/S or E/W letters.

1.3 Scale and measuring distance

Scale shows how much smaller a map is than reality. Learners use a line scale to measure distances: if 1 cm is 50 km, 4.5 cm is 225 km.

Watch out for: Measuring along a curved road with a straight ruler.

1.4 Atlases, the world’s “top three” and current events

An atlas has an index, a key and maps of different types. Learners find the world’s longest rivers, highest mountains and largest countries, and locate places in the news.

Watch out for: Not using the atlas index to find places.

Try at home in Term 1:

  • Look up the coordinates of Cape Town and Cairo and compare them.
  • Use a map’s scale bar to estimate the distance between two towns.

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Term 2: Trade: why, what and how fairly

Term 2 explains why countries trade, what they trade (goods, skills and services), how raw resources gain value when processed, and the difference between fair and unfair trade.

Term 2 topics:

  1. Why people trade: exports and imports
  2. What people trade: goods, skills and services
  3. Resources and their value: cocoa to chocolate, gold to jewellery
  4. Fair trade and unfair trade
Read the Term 2 topic summaries (4 topics)

2.1 Why people trade: exports and imports

Countries trade because no country has everything it needs. Exports are goods sold to other countries; imports are goods bought from them.

Watch out for: Mixing up imports and exports.

2.2 What people trade: goods, skills and services

People trade goods (such as fruit and cars), skills and services (such as tourism and banking). Learners give South African examples of each.

Watch out for: Forgetting that services are traded too.

2.3 Resources and their value: cocoa to chocolate, gold to jewellery

Raw materials are worth more once processed: cocoa beans become chocolate and gold becomes jewellery. The country that processes earns more.

Watch out for: Thinking the raw material earns the most money.

2.4 Fair trade and unfair trade

Fair trade pays producers a fair price and protects workers. Unfair trade can leave farmers and miners poor while others profit.

Watch out for: Thinking fair trade just means low prices for buyers.

Try at home in Term 2:

  • Look at labels on five products at home and list where each was made.
  • Look for a fair-trade logo on coffee, tea or chocolate in a shop.

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Term 3: Climate and biomes around the world

Term 3 compares world climates and three contrasting biomes: tropical rainforests, hot deserts and coniferous forests, and how plants, animals and people adapt.

Term 3 topics:

  1. Climate around the world
  2. Tropical rainforests
  3. Hot deserts
  4. Coniferous forests
Read the Term 3 topic summaries (4 topics)

3.1 Climate around the world

Climate depends on latitude, height above sea level, distance from the sea and ocean currents. Climate graphs show temperature (line) and rainfall (bars) for each month.

Watch out for: Reading the rainfall bars against the temperature scale.

3.2 Tropical rainforests

Tropical rainforests near the equator are hot and wet all year, with layers of tall trees and huge biodiversity. Deforestation threatens them.

Watch out for: Thinking rainforests have a dry winter.

3.3 Hot deserts

Hot deserts, such as the Sahara, get very little rain and have hot days and cold nights. Plants and animals adapt by storing water and avoiding the heat.

Watch out for: Saying deserts are hot at night too.

3.4 Coniferous forests

Coniferous forests in cold northern regions have long, snowy winters. Trees have needle leaves and cone shapes that shed snow.

Watch out for: Confusing coniferous forests with rainforests.

Try at home in Term 3:

  • Compare today’s temperature in your town with a desert city and a northern forest city online.
  • Find an animal from each biome and talk about how it is adapted.

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Term 4: Population: where and why people live

Term 4 covers population distribution and density, the reasons people choose where to live, and world population growth with a city case study.

Term 4 topics:

  1. Population distribution and density
  2. Why people live where they do
  3. Population around the world and city case study
Read the Term 4 topic summaries (3 topics)

4.1 Population distribution and density

Distribution describes where people live; density is the number of people per square kilometre. A city of 500 000 people on 250 km² has a density of 2 000 people per km².

Watch out for: Dividing area by population instead of population by area.

4.2 Why people live where they do

People settle where there is water, fertile land, jobs, transport and a pleasant climate, and avoid deserts, steep mountains and very cold areas.

Watch out for: Listing only physical reasons and forgetting jobs and services.

4.3 Population around the world and city case study

The world’s population has grown fast and many people now live in cities. A city case study shows the opportunities and problems of rapid growth, such as housing shortages and traffic.

Watch out for: Describing only the problems of cities.

Try at home in Term 4:

  • Compare the population and area of your province with another one and decide which is more crowded.
  • Talk about why your family lives where it does: work, school, family or cost.

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Common mistakes in Grade 6 Geography (and how to fix them)

  • Latitude and longitude swapped. Latitude lines run east–west and measure north or south of the equator; give latitude first.
  • Forgetting N, S, E or W. A coordinate without its direction could be in four places.
  • Mixing up imports and exports. Exports leave the country; imports come in.
  • Density versus population. A big population doesn’t always mean high density; it depends on the area.

Tips for parents

  • Find your home on a map app. Look up its latitude and longitude and round them to whole degrees.
  • Read labels in the shop. “Made in …” labels are a quick lesson on imports.
  • Watch a nature documentary. It brings rainforests, deserts and forests to life.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Grade 6 Geography course cost?

R100 per subject for the year. It is one course for the whole year, with Terms 1 to 4 inside it, so there is nothing extra to pay per term.

How does access work?

Tap Open course on this page or on the Grade 6 course card. It takes you to the course page on Coursebox, our learning platform, in a new tab, where you’ll see the price and how to join (R100 per subject per year, as listed on our site). A parent or guardian signs up there with their own name and email address, and the learner then signs in with that account. Please use a nickname for your child, not their full name or school.

Does it follow CAPS and what my child does at school?

Yes. The topics on this page follow the CAPS curriculum for Grade 6 Geography and the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plan order, so Term 1 topics are taught in Term 1, and so on. Schools can move a topic by a week or two, so check your child’s term plan.

Are the answers to the course quizzes on this page?

No. This page explains each topic in our own words so you can help at home. The worked answers to every course question are in the Parent Memo for each term, which comes with the course.

Is Geography a separate subject from History in Grade 6?

In CAPS, Geography and History are the two halves of Social Sciences and share one report mark, but they are taught and assessed as separate parts. AI Buddies offers them as separate courses.

Ready to start?

The whole year of Grade 6 Geography is in one course for R100, with printable coursebooks and memos for every term.

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Sources and review

This summary is based on our own Grade 6 Geography (CAPS) course and its four term Parent Memos, the DBE’s CAPS document for Geography Grades 4–6 (Intermediate Phase), and the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plan for Grade 6. Past national and provincial papers were used only to see which topics are tested and how. All explanations and examples on this page are our own. Last reviewed: 1 November 2026. AI Buddies is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Basic Education.