One fun way to combine a geography lesson with an arts and craft type project is to have students draw a map of a particular region from memory after spending time studying an atlas. You can then have the students compare their drawing to the actual area they based their drawing on, comparing borders and coastlines to see how well their drawing matches up to the atlas.
Have your sixth graders plan a hypothetical trip to half a dozen locations using the atlas. Have them select cities or areas they would visit using the atlas and then write a paragraph or a page about each location, discussing the culture and important sites based on independent research.
After studying an atlas to learn the location and names of countries in a particular continent, quiz the students using a map containing the political boundaries of a continent but no names. Then have the sixth graders write the names of the countries within the borders of that nation. This activity will help students learn the location of these countries in relation to each other as well as the relative size and shape of the countries.
A great way to incorporate current events into a geography class is to start each class with a brief discussion of current events taking place in the world. For example, if a news story mentions tension in the Sudan, use an atlas to show students the location of this country to put the story into a better geographical context.