Grade 6 Life Skills (CAPS): what the three study areas cover

Course guides › Grade 6 › Life Skills

← Back to main menu

Grade 6 Life Skills is the last Intermediate Phase year of Personal and Social Wellbeing, Physical Education and Creative Arts. It prepares learners for the bigger social and emotional changes of the Senior Phase: body image, peer pressure, conflict, bullying and caring for others.

Each term has four Personal and Social Wellbeing topics, one Physical Education topic and one Creative Arts topic.

Below, all 24 topics of our Grade 6 Life Skills (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.

Grade 6 Life Skills (CAPS). This summary follows the course topic by topic for the whole year (Terms 1 to 4). Courses are R100 per subject per year.

See Grade 6 courses

On this page

The course at a glance

  • One course for the whole year: 24 topics across Terms 1 to 4 (6, 6, 6, 6 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 Life Skills

  • 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: Self-esteem, peer pressure and conflict

Term 1 deals with body image and self-esteem, abilities and interests, peer pressure, and conflict and mediation, plus striking and fielding games and the first Creative Arts project.

Term 1 topics:

  1. Body image and self-esteem
  2. Abilities, interests and potential
  3. Peer pressure
  4. Conflict, mediation and peacekeeping
  5. Physical Education: striking and fielding games
  6. Creative Arts: drama, drumming and monochrome art
Read the Term 1 topic summaries (6 topics)

1.1 Body image and self-esteem

Body image is how you see your body; self-esteem is how you value yourself. Media images are often edited, so learners practise focusing on strengths and health.

Watch out for: Comparing themselves with edited photos.

1.2 Abilities, interests and potential

Learners identify their abilities and interests and how to grow their potential through practice and setting goals.

Watch out for: Thinking talent alone is enough.

1.3 Peer pressure

Peer pressure can be positive or negative. Learners practise saying no firmly, suggesting an alternative and walking away.

Watch out for: Thinking all peer pressure is bad.

1.4 Conflict, mediation and peacekeeping

Conflict happens in every group. Learners learn steps to resolve it: calm down, listen, use “I” statements and find a solution together, with a mediator if needed.

Watch out for: Using blame instead of “I feel …” statements.

1.5 Physical Education: striking and fielding games

Striking and fielding games (cricket, rounders) develop hitting, catching and throwing, with rules and safety.

Watch out for: Taking eyes off the ball when striking.

1.6 Creative Arts: drama, drumming and monochrome art

Creative Arts combines drama, drumming rhythms and monochrome art, using shades of one colour.

Watch out for: Using more than one colour in a monochrome artwork.

Try at home in Term 1:

  • Ask your child about a time a friend wanted them to do something they didn’t want to, and how they handled it.
  • Play a backyard game of cricket or rounders.

Back to the topic list · Back to main menu

Term 2: Self-management, bullying and culture

Term 2 covers self-management and planning, bullying, cultural rites of passage, and human dignity in different religions, plus a fitness programme and dance and art projects.

Term 2 topics:

  1. Self-management: responsibilities and activity plans
  2. Bullying
  3. Cultural rites of passage
  4. The dignity of the person in different religions
  5. Physical Education: a fitness programme
  6. Creative Arts: dance, musical form and mandalas
Read the Term 2 topic summaries (6 topics)

2.1 Self-management: responsibilities and activity plans

Self-management means taking responsibility for tasks and time. Learners plan activities using a timetable.

Watch out for: Making a plan and never checking it.

2.2 Bullying

Bullying is repeated, deliberate harm, including online. Learners learn to recognise it, support the target and report it.

Watch out for: Thinking it is “just teasing” if it happens often.

2.3 Cultural rites of passage

Rites of passage mark life stages, such as birth, coming of age, marriage and death, in different cultures.

Watch out for: Judging another culture’s rites.

2.4 The dignity of the person in different religions

Most religions teach respect for the dignity of every person. Learners compare teachings respectfully.

Watch out for: Generalising about a religion from one example.

2.5 Physical Education: a fitness programme

A fitness programme includes warm-up, strength, flexibility and endurance activities, followed by a cool-down.

Watch out for: Skipping the cool-down.

2.6 Creative Arts: dance, musical form and mandalas

Creative Arts covers dance, musical form (such as verse and chorus), and mandalas with radial symmetry.

Watch out for: Mixing up the verse and chorus.

Try at home in Term 2:

  • Plan a week of homework and chores together on a simple schedule.
  • Create a mandala with repeated shapes around a centre.

Back to the topic list · Back to main menu

Term 3: Care, ubuntu, nation-building and gender

Term 3 covers caring for animals and people, ubuntu, nation-building and national symbols, gender stereotypes and abuse, plus rhythmic movement and South African songs.

Term 3 topics:

  1. Caring for animals
  2. Caring for people and ubuntu
  3. Nation-building, cultural heritage and national symbols
  4. Gender stereotyping, sexism and abuse
  5. Physical Education: rhythmic movement
  6. Creative Arts: reading music and South African songs
Read the Term 3 topic summaries (6 topics)

3.1 Caring for animals

Caring for animals means food, water, shelter, health care and kindness. Learners discuss animal rights and responsible pet ownership.

Watch out for: Forgetting vaccinations and vet care.

3.2 Caring for people and ubuntu

Ubuntu means “I am because we are”: caring for people in our community, especially the vulnerable.

Watch out for: Defining ubuntu without examples of action.

3.3 Nation-building, cultural heritage and national symbols

Nation-building brings people together through shared heritage, national symbols and respect for diversity.

Watch out for: Listing symbols without explaining their meaning.

3.4 Gender stereotyping, sexism and abuse

Gender stereotypes are fixed ideas about what boys and girls can do. Sexism is unfair treatment because of gender. Learners also learn to recognise and report abuse.

Watch out for: Accepting stereotypes as facts.

3.5 Physical Education: rhythmic movement

Rhythmic movement links steps and movements to music with control and timing.

Watch out for: Losing the beat.

3.6 Creative Arts: reading music and South African songs

Learners read simple music notation and learn South African songs from different cultures.

Watch out for: Mixing up note values.

Try at home in Term 3:

  • Sing a South African song together and talk about its meaning.
  • Discuss jobs or chores that are often linked to boys or girls and whether that is fair.

Back to the topic list · Back to main menu

Term 4: Health, first aid and creative performance

Term 4 covers basic first aid, food hygiene, communicable diseases and HIV and AIDS, plus movement sequences or swimming and rituals, puppetry and buildings in the arts.

Term 4 topics:

  1. Basic first aid
  2. Food hygiene
  3. Communicable diseases
  4. HIV and AIDS: myths, realities and caring
  5. Physical Education: movement sequences or swimming
  6. Creative Arts: rituals, puppetry and buildings
Read the Term 4 topic summaries (6 topics)

4.1 Basic first aid

Basic first aid covers cuts, burns, nosebleeds and calling for help. Learners know when to call an adult or emergency services.

Watch out for: Putting butter or toothpaste on a burn instead of cool running water.

4.2 Food hygiene

Food hygiene means washing hands, keeping food covered and cold, cooking meat well and keeping raw and cooked food apart.

Watch out for: Using the same board for raw meat and salad.

4.3 Communicable diseases

Communicable diseases spread from person to person, through air, water, touch or insects. Learners learn how to prevent them.

Watch out for: Thinking all diseases are communicable.

4.4 HIV and AIDS: myths, realities and caring

Learners separate myths from facts about HIV and AIDS and discuss how to care for people living with HIV with dignity.

Watch out for: Believing HIV spreads through hugging or sharing cups.

4.5 Physical Education: movement sequences or swimming

PE offers either a movement sequence or swimming and water safety, depending on the facilities.

Watch out for: Swimming without an adult present.

4.6 Creative Arts: rituals, puppetry and buildings

Creative Arts explores rituals in performance, puppetry and drawing buildings with attention to line and perspective.

Watch out for: Drawing buildings without a horizon line.

Try at home in Term 4:

  • Check what is in your first-aid kit and what each item is for.
  • Make a simple sock or paper-bag puppet and perform a short scene.

Back to the topic list · Back to main menu

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

  • Seeing Life Skills as “just for fun”: it has formal tasks and tests.
  • Not giving reasons in answers about choices and values.
  • Skipping the practical tasks.

Tips for parents

  • Little and often. Fifteen minutes on most school days works better than a long session once a week.
  • Keep the conversation open about body changes and friendships; it’s normal at this age.
  • Be active as a family a few times a week.
  • Make space for creativity: a corner with scrap materials goes a long way.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find the Grade 6 Life Skills course?

All our Grade 6 courses are listed on our home page under Grade 6. Each course covers one subject for the whole year (Terms 1 to 4) and is R100 per subject per year.

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

Yes. The topics on this page follow the CAPS curriculum for Grade 6 Life Skills 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.

Why does Life Skills include sensitive topics such as abuse and HIV?

CAPS includes them so children learn to recognise danger, know the facts and know where to get help. The course treats them in an age-appropriate way, and we suggest going through these lessons with your child.

Grade 6 courses

Each course covers one subject for the whole year for R100. Use this page to follow what your child is learning each term.

See Grade 6 courses

← Back to main menu

All Grade 6 guides · All course guides

Sources and review

This summary is based on our own Grade 6 Life Skills (CAPS) course and its four term Parent Memos, the DBE’s CAPS document for Life Skills 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.