Topics and Lesson Plans to Expand Introductory Economics Courses
Below are suggestions for specific topics coupled with supporting resources or lesson plans that can be inserted into a traditional introductory economics course throughout the semester.
Redlining
- NY Fed Redlining lesson plan
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on rental costs in redlined neighborhoods
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on residential segregation and redlining
Racial Inequality
- St. Louis Fed lesson on racial wealth inequality
- St. Louis Fed lesson on racial gaps in unemployment and homeownership
- St. Louis Fed lesson on job volatility among races
- St. Louis Fed lesson on income inequality across racial groups and the Gini ratio
- Planet Money podcast on Black Wall Street
- Planet Money podcast interviewing Lisa Cook about her work on “Patent Racism”
Gender and the Economy
- St. Louis Fed lesson on gender and labor markets
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on value of women’s unpaid work
- St. Louis Fed lesson on impact of COVID-19 crisis on women’s employment
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on cross-country differences in fertility
LGBTQ+ Participation in the Economy
Labor Market
- St. Louis Fed lesson on labor market data and measurement
- St. Louis Fed lesson on consequences of unemployment
- St. Louis Fed lesson on automation and the minimum wage
- Data exercise using FRED data (Wolfe assignments part 1 and article.)
Inequality
- St. Louis Fed lesson on child poverty in the United States
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on corporate profits vs. labor income
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on evolution of inequality
- San Francisco Fed podcasts: Zip Code Economies
- Data exercise using FRED data (Wolfe assignment part 2 and article.)
Other Selected Topics
- St. Louis Fed lesson on economics and the environment
- St. Louis Fed FREDblog on workers with a disability
- San Francisco Fed college value calculator