For: Grade 7 EMS teachers planning the production process lessons at the start of Term 4, before the final exam.
Where this lesson sits in Term 4 (2026)
Term 4 of 2026 runs from Tuesday 6 October to Wednesday 9 December for learners. Teachers close on Friday 11 December. That is 10 weeks and 47 school days for learners, with no public holidays in the term (source: DBE 2026 school calendar and gov.za school calendar).
The ATP numbers weeks 1 to 10. In 2026 they fall like this:
| Term 4 week | 2026 dates (Mon to Fri) |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Tue 6 Oct to Fri 9 Oct |
| Week 2 | 12 to 16 Oct |
| Week 3 | 19 to 23 Oct |
| Week 4 | 26 to 30 Oct |
| Week 5 | 2 to 6 Nov |
| Week 6 | 9 to 13 Nov |
| Week 7 | 16 to 20 Nov |
| Week 8 | 23 to 27 Nov |
| Week 9 | 30 Nov to 4 Dec |
| Week 10 | 7 to 9 Dec (learners’ last day Wed 9 Dec) |
Exam and test dates for Grades 4 to 9 are set by your school, district or province, not by one national timetable. Check your school’s own exam timetable before you plan revision days.
In the Grade 7 EMS ATP (DBE) the production process takes weeks 1 to 3 (about 6 to 23 October 2026). Savings follows in weeks 4 to 6, and the final exam (100 marks, 90 minutes) is in weeks 7 to 8. Financial literacy and the economy each carry 25 marks in that paper, so this lesson feeds directly into exam marks.
| ATP week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Definition of production; inputs and outputs |
| 2 | Sustainable use of resources; economic growth; productivity |
| 3 | Technology in the production process |
Lesson objectives
By the end of the lesson learners can:
- define production, inputs and outputs
- give examples of renewable and non-renewable resources
- explain sustainable use of resources with local examples
- link productivity to economic growth
Key vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Production | Using inputs to make goods and services |
| Inputs | Resources used in production (natural resources, labour, capital, entrepreneurship) |
| Outputs | The goods and services produced |
| Renewable resources | Resources that can be replaced naturally, such as sun, wind and water |
| Non-renewable resources | Resources that run out, such as coal and oil |
| Sustainable use | Using resources so there is enough for the future |
| Productivity | Output compared to input |
Lesson structure (about 60 minutes)
Start (10 minutes). Show a loaf of bread or a school juice box. Ask: what was needed to make this? List answers and sort them into natural resources, labour, capital and entrepreneurship.
Teach (10 minutes). Explain inputs, the production process and outputs. Use a local example such as a bakery, a brick maker or a vegetable garden.
Pair work (10 minutes). Inputs and outputs game: give each pair a business card (taxi, hair salon, maize farm). They list three inputs and one output.
Teach (10 minutes). Sustainable use of resources. Discuss load shedding, water restrictions or litter in your area. Introduce reduce, reuse and recycle.
Individual work (10 minutes). Learners write three ways the school tuckshop could use resources more sustainably.
Close (10 minutes). Exit ticket below.
Exit ticket
- Define production.
- Give one input and one output for a bakery.
- Name one renewable and one non-renewable resource.
- Give one way a business can use water sustainably.
Differentiation
- Support: picture cards for inputs and outputs; sentence frames (“The input is … The output is …”).
- Extension: learners calculate productivity for two bakeries (loaves per worker per day) and explain which is more productive.
- Language support: keep a word wall of the vocabulary above; allow home language talk in pairs before writing in English.
Link to exam revision
Keep a short list of the definitions on the board for weeks 5 to 7. Point learners to the Grade 7 EMS exam revision notes for practice questions with answers.
Related CAPS123 pages
- Grade 7 EMS exam revision: Term 4 study notes
- Teaching EMS
- Grade 7 ATPs
- How to use the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plans
Disclaimer
CAPS123 is not an official Department of Basic Education site. Topics, weeks and marks here come from the DBE Annual Teaching Plans and circulars linked on this page. Always check the official ATP index and your school’s assessment programme and exam timetable.