Using Federal Reserve Economic Data® Data to Address Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom

Abstract

This article describes 30 instructional resources produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis suitable to address topics related to diversity and inclusion in the undergraduate economics classroom. These resources employ FRED® data to broach a wide range of topics in the areas of gender, race, and inequality. The resources take the form of FRED Blog Reading Questions and Answers, Page One Economics essays, and Lesson Plans. Borrowing from the science, technology, mathematics, and engineering literature, we argue for the use of examples and demonstrations that draw connections between formal instruction and the social context of the learning process itself. To that end, we put forward examples for leveraging economics data from FRED® in instructional settings emphasizing active learning and the development of practical data-related skills.