Civics addresses the Finnish society: its phenomena, structures and functions. The concepts taught are often broad and abstract or conceptual. A conceptual idea is something that can have concrete (visible) examples or manifestations, but the concept itself cannot be seen. Examples of such concepts are democracy or equality. For both, examples can be given, but neither can be seen. For instance, equality manifests in the way that men and women have equal rights to their own property. You cannot take a photograph of equality itself.

The reading text is intended mainly to be read at home. During the lesson, the teacher explains the main concepts and provides examples or manifestations on the topic. In class, exercises are done to help understand the content of the concepts. Pictures or graphs provide additional information and clarification.