Term theme: The Atmosphere
CAPS topics for Term 1 include Earth's energy balance, global air circulation, Africa's weather and climate, and droughts and desertification, with consolidation and assessment.
Grade 11 Geography
Annual Teaching Plan (Terms 1-4)
The Grade 11 Geography CAPS syllabus in South Africa follows the annual teaching plan with The Atmosphere (climatology), Geomorphology, Development geography, and Resources and sustainability, alongside mapwork and GIS skills. Use the term topics below with Grade 11 Geography past papers for exam preparation.
Quick links:Grade 11 CAPS past papers hub
How to study using this page: Revise term topics attempt past papers mark with memos.
Term 1 topics
Weeks 1-10
Assessment: SBA: Task 1 Research planning and preparation (as per ATP). Informal assessment: minimum of 3 data response tasks/activities per week (content and mapwork) (as listed in ATP). Consolidation and assessment in Weeks 9-10.
Earth's energy balance
Consolidation of climatology from Grade 10; unequal heating of the atmosphere (latitudinal and seasonal); significance of the earth's axis and revolution around the sun; transfer of energy and energy balance.
Global air circulation
Global air circulation as a response to unequal heating; world pressure belts; tri-cellular circulation; relationships between air temperature, air pressure and wind; pressure gradient, Coriolis force and geostrophic flow; winds related to global circulation (westerlies, tropical easterlies, polar easterlies); air mass characteristics; regional and local winds including monsoons and Fohn winds.
Africa's weather and climate
Subsidence and convergence (link to rainfall); role of oceans in climate control in Africa; El Nino and La Nina (basic knowledge, link to weather conditions, not for examination purposes); reading and interpreting synoptic weather maps.
Droughts and desertification
Causes of droughts and desertification; effects on people and the environment; management strategies with case studies.
Geographical skills and techniques (mapwork and GIS)
Exam relevance: Mapwork and GIS are assessed in the end-of-year examination (as listed in ATP).
Mapwork skills include working with oblique and vertical aerial photographs, orthophoto maps and 1:50 000 topographical maps; referencing systems; direction (16 cardinal points); grid reference and distance; true and magnetic bearing; cross-sections. GIS concepts include remote sensing, GIS applications to climatology, and spatial objects (lines, points, nodes) and scales.
Term theme: The Atmosphere
CAPS topics for Term 1 include Earth's energy balance, global air circulation, Africa's weather and climate, and droughts and desertification, with consolidation and assessment.
Earth's energy balance
Consolidation of climatology from Grade 10; unequal heating of the atmosphere (latitudinal and seasonal); significance of the earth's axis and revolution around the sun; transfer of energy and energy balance.
Global air circulation
Global air circulation as a response to unequal heating; world pressure belts; tri-cellular circulation; relationships between air temperature, air pressure and wind; pressure gradient, Coriolis force and geostrophic flow; winds related to global circulation (westerlies, tropical easterlies, polar easterlies); air mass characteristics; regional and local winds including monsoons and Fohn winds.
Africa's weather and climate
Subsidence and convergence (link to rainfall); role of oceans in climate control in Africa; El Nino and La Nina (basic knowledge, link to weather conditions, not for examination purposes); reading and interpreting synoptic weather maps.
Droughts and desertification
Causes of droughts and desertification; effects on people and the environment; management strategies with case studies.
Geographical skills and techniques (mapwork and GIS)
Exam relevance: Mapwork and GIS are assessed in the end-of-year examination (as listed in ATP).
Mapwork skills include working with oblique and vertical aerial photographs, orthophoto maps and 1:50 000 topographical maps; referencing systems; direction (16 cardinal points); grid reference and distance; true and magnetic bearing; cross-sections. GIS concepts include remote sensing, GIS applications to climatology, and spatial objects (lines, points, nodes) and scales.
Term 2 topics
Weeks 1-10
Assessment: SBA: Task 3 Final submission of RESEARCH [100]. Task 4 Mid-year exam [150] (as listed in ATP). Informal assessment minimums listed in ATP.
Term theme: Geomorphology
CAPS topics for Term 2 include horizontally layered rocks, inclined/tilted rock strata, massive igneous rocks, slopes, mass movement, and consolidation/revision/assessment.
Horizontally layered rocks
Characteristics and processes associated with development of hilly landscapes and basaltic plateaux; concept of scarp retreat and back wasting.
Inclined/tilted rock strata
Characteristics and processes of canyon and Karoo landscapes; development of scarp slope, dip slope, cuesta, homoclinal ridge, hogsback, cuesta basin and cuesta dome.
Massive igneous rocks
Identify batholiths, laccoliths, lopoliths, dykes and sills; characteristics and processes associated with development of granite domes and tors.
Slopes
Overview of South African topography; types of slopes; slope elements (crest, cliff/scarp slope/free face, talus/debris/scree slope, pediment); characteristics of slope elements and slope retreat.
Mass movement
Concept and kinds of mass movement: soil creep, solifluction, landslide, rock falls and mud flows, slumps. Impact on people and the environment and strategies to prevent/minimise effects with South African case studies.
Geographical skills and techniques (mapwork and GIS)
Topographic map skills include map scale, contours and landforms, cross-sections, vertical exaggeration, gradient and inter-visibility. GIS includes spatial and spectral resolution; data types (line, point, area and attribute); raster and vector data; capturing data from existing maps on tracing paper.
Term theme: Geomorphology
CAPS topics for Term 2 include horizontally layered rocks, inclined/tilted rock strata, massive igneous rocks, slopes, mass movement, and consolidation/revision/assessment.
Horizontally layered rocks
Characteristics and processes associated with development of hilly landscapes and basaltic plateaux; concept of scarp retreat and back wasting.
Inclined/tilted rock strata
Characteristics and processes of canyon and Karoo landscapes; development of scarp slope, dip slope, cuesta, homoclinal ridge, hogsback, cuesta basin and cuesta dome.
Massive igneous rocks
Identify batholiths, laccoliths, lopoliths, dykes and sills; characteristics and processes associated with development of granite domes and tors.
Slopes
Overview of South African topography; types of slopes; slope elements (crest, cliff/scarp slope/free face, talus/debris/scree slope, pediment); characteristics of slope elements and slope retreat.
Mass movement
Concept and kinds of mass movement: soil creep, solifluction, landslide, rock falls and mud flows, slumps. Impact on people and the environment and strategies to prevent/minimise effects with South African case studies.
Geographical skills and techniques (mapwork and GIS)
Topographic map skills include map scale, contours and landforms, cross-sections, vertical exaggeration, gradient and inter-visibility. GIS includes spatial and spectral resolution; data types (line, point, area and attribute); raster and vector data; capturing data from existing maps on tracing paper.
Term 3 topics
Weeks 1-10
Assessment: SBA: Task 5 Controlled test [60] (as listed in ATP). Informal assessment minimums listed in ATP.
Term theme: Development
CAPS topics for Term 3 include development terminology and concepts, framework for development, trade and development, development issues and challenges, role of development aid, and consolidation/assessment.
Development and framework for development
Terminology associated with development; concept of development; developed, developing, MEDCs, LEDCs and industrial countries. Economic, social, sustainable, appropriate scale and spatial aspects; indicators such as GNP, GDP, HDI, GINI-coefficient, life expectancy and infant mortality; examples showing differences in development in local, regional and global contexts.
Trade and development
Factors affecting development including access to resources and energy, history, trade imbalances, population growth, education and training, natural resource limitations and environmental degradation. International trade and world markets, commodities traded and terms of trade, and types of trading relationships. Globalisation and its impact; export-led development (critically examined) with examples.
Development issues and challenges
Community-based development including approaches to rural and urban development (case studies). Effect of development on the environment.
Development aid
Concept of development aid and development co-operation; types of aid (technical, conditional, humanitarian); impact of aid on development including case studies (positive and negative).
Geographical skills and techniques (maps and atlases)
Topographic and atlas skills include locating exact position (degrees, minutes and seconds), relative position (direction, true bearing, magnetic declination and magnetic bearing), scale and distance, calculating area, atlas map index, locating places on different maps and comparing information from different maps.
Term theme: Development
CAPS topics for Term 3 include development terminology and concepts, framework for development, trade and development, development issues and challenges, role of development aid, and consolidation/assessment.
Development and framework for development
Terminology associated with development; concept of development; developed, developing, MEDCs, LEDCs and industrial countries. Economic, social, sustainable, appropriate scale and spatial aspects; indicators such as GNP, GDP, HDI, GINI-coefficient, life expectancy and infant mortality; examples showing differences in development in local, regional and global contexts.
Trade and development
Factors affecting development including access to resources and energy, history, trade imbalances, population growth, education and training, natural resource limitations and environmental degradation. International trade and world markets, commodities traded and terms of trade, and types of trading relationships. Globalisation and its impact; export-led development (critically examined) with examples.
Development issues and challenges
Community-based development including approaches to rural and urban development (case studies). Effect of development on the environment.
Development aid
Concept of development aid and development co-operation; types of aid (technical, conditional, humanitarian); impact of aid on development including case studies (positive and negative).
Geographical skills and techniques (maps and atlases)
Topographic and atlas skills include locating exact position (degrees, minutes and seconds), relative position (direction, true bearing, magnetic declination and magnetic bearing), scale and distance, calculating area, atlas map index, locating places on different maps and comparing information from different maps.
Term 4 revision focus
Weeks 1-10
Assessment: SBA: Task 6 End-of-year examination. November examination. Paper 1 and Paper 2 are 150 marks each, 3 hours each, with Mapwork and GIS components (as listed in ATP).
Term theme: Resources and sustainability
CAPS topics for Term 4 include soil and soil erosion, conventional energy sources, non-conventional energy sources, and energy management in South Africa, followed by consolidation and revision and the November examination.
Soil and soil erosion
Causes of soil erosion (human, animal, physical, past and present), evidence of soil erosion in South Africa, effects on people and the environment, and management strategies to prevent and control soil erosion.
Conventional energy sources
Thermal and hydro-energy production in South Africa; thermal electricity generation using coal (principles and processes); impact of coal mining and thermal power stations (advantages and disadvantages); South Africa's potential to meet long-term energy needs using conventional sources; case study of nuclear energy.
Non-conventional energy sources
Solar and wind energy examples from South Africa and the world; future of non-conventional energy in South Africa; possible effects of increased non-conventional energy use on the economy and the environment.
Energy management in South Africa
Energy management towards greener economies and sustainable lifestyles, including responsibilities of government, businesses and individuals.
End-of-year exam focus (as listed in ATP)
Exam relevance: ATP provides the exam structure and mark allocations.
Paper 1 covers The Atmosphere (60), Geomorphology (60) and Mapwork (30: map skills and calculations, map interpretation, GIS). Paper 2 covers Development geography (60), Resources and sustainability (60) and Mapwork (30: map skills and calculations, map interpretation, GIS). Cognitive levels: lower order 30%, middle order 50%, higher order 20%.
Term theme: Resources and sustainability
CAPS topics for Term 4 include soil and soil erosion, conventional energy sources, non-conventional energy sources, and energy management in South Africa, followed by consolidation and revision and the November examination.
Soil and soil erosion
Causes of soil erosion (human, animal, physical, past and present), evidence of soil erosion in South Africa, effects on people and the environment, and management strategies to prevent and control soil erosion.
Conventional energy sources
Thermal and hydro-energy production in South Africa; thermal electricity generation using coal (principles and processes); impact of coal mining and thermal power stations (advantages and disadvantages); South Africa's potential to meet long-term energy needs using conventional sources; case study of nuclear energy.
Non-conventional energy sources
Solar and wind energy examples from South Africa and the world; future of non-conventional energy in South Africa; possible effects of increased non-conventional energy use on the economy and the environment.
Energy management in South Africa
Energy management towards greener economies and sustainable lifestyles, including responsibilities of government, businesses and individuals.
End-of-year exam focus (as listed in ATP)
Exam relevance: ATP provides the exam structure and mark allocations.
Paper 1 covers The Atmosphere (60), Geomorphology (60) and Mapwork (30: map skills and calculations, map interpretation, GIS). Paper 2 covers Development geography (60), Resources and sustainability (60) and Mapwork (30: map skills and calculations, map interpretation, GIS). Cognitive levels: lower order 30%, middle order 50%, higher order 20%.