Social Sciences in Grade 6 is divided into two distinct subjects: Geography and History. This foundational year of the Senior Phase builds essential skills, ranging from interpreting complex maps and understanding global trade to grasping the concepts of democracy and citizenship, as well as exploring history from ancient African kingdoms to modern medical breakthroughs. To ensure comprehensive coverage of all formal tasks and assessments, it is vital to consult the full Annual Teaching Plan (ATP).
This article outlines the 2026 Social Sciences Grade 6 ATP, breaking down the term-by-term focus areas for both Geography and History.
Social Sciences Grade 6 ATP 2026
The Annual Teaching Plan is divided into four terms, with each term covering a major topic in Geography and a corresponding topic in History, ensuring a balance between factual knowledge, conceptual understanding, and skills development.
Term 1: Map Skills and the Kingdom of Mapungubwe
Geography Focus: Map skills (Focus: World)
Focus: The first term introduces advanced map reading skills, focusing on global location, latitude, longitude, and scale.
- Location and Global Statistics:
- Study Atlases, global statistics and current events.
- Understand the organisation of an atlas page and the different kinds of information provided.
- Latitude and Longitude:
- Revise concepts like the globe, equator, north/south poles, and compass points.
- Understand the concept of a hemisphere (North/South divided by the Equator; East/West divided by the Greenwich Meridian and 180∘ longitude).
- Locate selected countries and cities using degrees of latitude and longitude on a map.
- Concept of Scale:
- Differentiate between Small and large-scale maps (from world maps to street maps).
- Use Line scales and Word scales to measure straight-line distances between cities.
- Formal Assessment: Test: map skills (40 marks). The cognitive levels are Low order: 30%, Middle order: 50%, High order: 20%.
History Focus: An African kingdom long ago in southern Africa: Mapungubwe
Focus: The history section examines the first state in southern Africa, Mapungubwe (1220–1300 AD).
- Settlements and Society:
- Study settlements in the Limpopo Valley before Mapungubwe (K2 and Schroda).
- Examine the first town and first stone-walled palace.
- Learn about the King and sacred leadership and distinct social classes.
- Golden rhinoceroses and other golden objects are discussed as symbols of royal power and political leadership.
- Trade and Globalisation:
- Study Change and continuity in East Coast trade with settlements inland.
- Explore Trade across Africa and across the Indian Ocean (globalisation).
- Formal Assessment: Test: source-based and paragraph writing (Total 40 marks). Source-based = 35 marks, Paragraph writing = 5 marks.
Term 2: Trade and European Explorers
Geography Focus: Trade (Focus: South Africa and the world)
Focus: Term 2 focuses on the exchange of goods and the concepts of fair and unfair trade.
- Trade Fundamentals:
- Explore Why people trade and What people trade.
- Define goods: Raw materials (primary products) and Manufactured goods (secondary products).
- Case Studies and Value:
- Compare values of selected raw materials and manufactured goods.
- Case studies: From cocoa to chocolate and From gold to jewellery.
- Fair Trading:
- Study the concepts of unfair and fair trade.
- Discuss the human cost of unfair trade: Work and exploitation.
- Examine Exports and imports between South Africa and the world, including skills and services.
- Formal Assessment: Controlled test (Total 40 marks). Term 1 content: 15 marks, Term 2 content: 25 marks.
History Focus: Explorers from Europe find southern Africa
Focus: The history topic covers the European Renaissance, exploration, and the establishment of the sea route to the East.
- The Renaissance and Exploration:
- Study the European Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries) as a turning point in European history.
- Examine New ideas and knowledge and Inventions (gunpowder, magnetic compass, caravel).
* Study the contribution of figures like **Leonardo da Vinci** or **Galileo**.
- Reasons for Exploring:
- Reasons include Curiosity about the world, Looking for trade and profit, and Spreading the Christian religion.
- Route to the East:
- The European trade route to the East via southern Africa is explored.
- Case studies: Dias and his crew encounter the Khoikhoi in Mossel Bay (1488) and the journey of Da Gama.
- Formal Assessment: Controlled test: source-based and paragraph writing (Total 40 marks). Term 1: 15 marks, Term 2: 25 marks.
Term 3: Climate and Democracy
Geography Focus: Climate and vegetation around the world
Focus: Term 3 covers the difference between climate and weather, and studies three major climate regions globally.
- Climate Fundamentals:
- Differentiate between climate and weather.
- Identify wet and dry areas of the world, including annual rainfall map.
- Study hot, mild, and cold climates of the world, including temperature maps.
- Climate Regions and Vegetation:
- Tropical rainforests: Location, climate (temperature/rainfall), natural vegetation, and wildlife. The term includes a focus on Deforestation (reasons and consequences with a case study).
- Hot deserts: Location, climate, natural vegetation, wildlife, and how people live in a desert.
- Coniferous forests: Location, climate, natural vegetation, and wildlife.
- Formal Assessment: Test: source-based questions and paragraph writing (40 marks).
History Focus: Democracy and citizenship
Focus: The history topic covers the structure of South Africa’s democratic government and the rights and responsibilities of its citizens.
- National Government and Law:
- How people govern themselves in a democracy, including Political parties and voting in national elections.
- The structure of Our national government.
- The importance of rules and laws, the role of Parliament, and the purpose of the Constitution.
- The justice system and equality under the law, including the Constitutional Court.
- Citizenship:
- Rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.
- Children’s rights and responsibilities (The Children’s Charter of South Africa).
- Case study: Fatima Meer or Pius Langa.
- National Symbols:
- Study National symbols since 1994: Coat of arms, National flag, National anthem.
- Formal Assessment: Project: To be introduced at the beginning of the topic Democracy and citizenship (40 marks).
Term 4: Population and Medicine
Geography Focus: Population: Why people live where they do (Focus: South Africa and the world)
Focus: The final geography term focuses on population distribution, density, and settlement location factors.
- Location of Settlements:
- Reasons for location: natural factors (climate, vegetation, natural features) and human factors (laws, resources, human activities such as mining, fishing and trade).
- Concepts of “rural” and “urban”.
- Why people move from rural areas to towns and cities.
- Population in South Africa:
- Total population figures and average population density for each province (reading graphs).
- Population distribution and population density (concepts).
- Population distribution in South Africa on a distribution map.
- Global Population:
- Population distribution around the world.
- Major cities and their population sizes (map).
- Case study of a major city to highlight the reasons for its location.
- Formal Assessment: Controlled test (Total 40 marks). Term 3 content: 15 marks, Term 4 content: 25 marks.
History Focus: Medicine through time
Focus: The final history topic explores the development of medical science from indigenous healing to modern surgery.
- Indigenous Healing:
- Indigenous healing in South Africa: Physical causes of illness vs. Spiritual healing.
- Use of indigenous plants to cure diseases.
- Infectious Disease and Germs:
- The connection between germs and disease and the role of Louis Pasteur.
- The germs that cause TB and the role of Robert Koch.
- Vaccination against smallpox and the role of Edward Jenner.
- Modern Western Scientific Medical Discoveries:
- Overview of discoveries that made surgery possible: Anaesthetics and Avoiding infection.
- Discoveries like Blood transfusions and X-rays.
- Heart surgery: Case study of Christiaan Barnard and the world’s first heart transplant.
- Formal Assessment: Controlled test: Source-based questions and paragraph writing (Total 40 marks). Term 3 content: 15 marks, Term 4 content: 25 marks.