Ready-made materials for teachers in the Suomi.fi Web Service – especially suitable for teaching social studies

The Suomi.fi Web Service provides comprehensive instructions for different life events and for dealing with public administration. It is an excellent source of information for students as it is. However, now the Suomi.fi Web Service provides ready-made material for schools with exercises. 

The material has been produced jointly by lower secondary school teachers and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Specifically designed for the teaching of lower secondary school social studies – also available for practising digital competence and media literacy

The learning materials on the Suomi.fi website have been specifically designed for the teaching of social studies in lower secondary schools. The material promotes digital competence and media literacy. It can also be used for guidance counselling and familiarisation with Finnish social services. 

Many assignments are also easily applicable to upper secondary level students, and they provide cross-subject perspectives as well. The assignments are of different sizes and can also be used in multidisciplinary learning modules. 

The material contains instructions and exercises on, for example, the following themes:

• Public administration services and e-services
• Rights and obligations
• Working life, entrepreneurship, unemployment
• Social security and welfare state
• Health and sickness
• Managing your own finances
• Family
• Housing
• Consumer rights
• Travel

Strengthening digital skills ensures that young people have an equal starting point for functioning in society

With the help of the learning materials and assignments of the Suomi.fi Web Service, young people learn to search for reliable operating instructions and public administration services for their different life events in the Suomi.fi Web Service. 

‘Young people are often considered competent digital natives. However, according to a report produced by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, they find it difficult to manage official matters: They cannot know things if no one ever teaches them. This material helps young people understand what official matters should be handled and how they should be handled’, says Minna Mäkinen, Senior Specialist at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The aim is to strengthen the digital competence and education of young people so that each pupil has an equal starting point for functioning in society. 

‘This pedagogical support material promotes the implementation of teaching in accordance with the objectives of the curriculum, especially in the subject of social studies, and increases awareness of the useful digital services offered by Finnish society and authorities. This also increases the pupils' general knowledge and civic competence’, says Counsellor of Education Kristina Kaihari from the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

‘The ability to use digital services is an important civic skill that everyone has the right to learn’, adds Project Coordinator Päivi Leppänen from the Finnish National Agency for Education.

The planning of the material has been launched in co-operation with the Finnish National Agency for Education. The content and objectives of the curriculum for social studies have been used as the starting point. The material promotes digital competence in accordance with the descriptions of good competence published by the Finnish National Agency for Education.   

The material has been produced jointly by lower secondary school teachers and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.