Focus on Energy Prices and Inflation

This assignment provides instructions on building the graph below and includes writing prompts for out-of-class assignments.

Storytelling with Data and FRED Interactive Modules

Interpreting Units: Learn how to use several FRED® features to change the units of the data and help tell the story behind the numbers. The FRED Interactive modules can be embedded in your learning management system.

Quiz Yourself on the Economics of Oil Prices

The graph above shows crude oil prices in dollars per barrel (black line) and diesel (blue line), gasoline (red line), and heating oil (green line) prices in dollars per gallon.

Q1. Relative to crude oil prices, how do oil-based fuel prices change over time?

Learn more about this topic from the FRED Blog.

The graph above shows the prices of crude oil from Western Texas (black line) and from the North Sea (blue line).

Q1. Between January 2020 and January 2022, were both prices very similar most of the time or only some of the time?

Q2. When did the price of Western Texas crude oil become less than zero?

Learn more about this topic from the FRED Blog.

The graph above shows crude oil prices (black line) and a measure of expected long-run inflation (purple line).

Q1. Do crude oil prices and expected long-run inflation move in the same or in opposite directions?

Learn more about this topic from the FRED Blog.

You can share these graphs with your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.

Focus on Consumer Spending

This Page One Economics essay describes several changes in consumer spending related to the COVID-19-induced recession.

Focus on the Fed’s Response

This Page One Economics essay describes the use of monetary policy to support the flow of credit to households and businesses.

Storytelling with Data and FRED Interactive Modules

The COVID-19 Recession: Learn how to use FRED® to visualize the impact of the COVID-19-induced recession on gross domestic product. The FRED Interactive modules can be embedded in your learning management system.

Quiz Yourself on the COVID-19-induced Recession

The FRED graph above shows the value of quarterly real gross domestic product during and after the five most recent economic recessions: 1981-1982, 1990-1991, 2001, 2007-2009, and 2020.

Q1. Which recession was the deepest?

Q2. Which recession was the shallowest?

The FRED graph above shows the growth of stock share prices (blue line) and home prices (red line) between January 2020 and October 2021.

Q1. Which prices decreased during the COVID-19-induced recession?

Q2. Which prices experienced the largest growth between January 2020 and October 2021?

The FRED graph above shows the unemployment rate for men (blue line), for women (red line), and for both genders (black line) between July 2007 and January 2022.

Q1. During the Great Recession in 2007-2009, did men or women make up the majority of those who became unemployed?

Q2. During the COVID-19-induced recession in 2020, did men or women make up the majority of those who became unemployed ?

You can share these graphs with your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.

Focus on the Interest Rate on Reserve Balances

This Page One Economics essay describes the new key tool of monetary policy: the interest rate on reserve balances.

Focus on Large-Scale Asset Purchases

This Page One Economics essay describes the use of temporary open-market operations and large-scale asset purchases to support the flow of credit to households and businesses.

Storytelling with Data and FRED Interactive Modules

Adjusting for Inflation: Learn how to use FRED® to visualize the difference between nominal and real values. The FRED Interactive modules can be embedded in your learning management system.

Quiz Yourself on the New Tools of Monetary Policy

Q1. Between September 17, 2008, and September 9, 2020, which were larger: total reserve balances maintained with Federal Reserve Banks or required reserve balances?

Q2. After March 25, 2020, what was the dollar value of required reserve balances?

Q1. How do overnight repurchase agreements impact financial markets? Do they add or subtract liquidity?

Q2. Between September 2019 and September 2020, when did the value of overnight repurchase agreements peak?

Q1. How do reverse overnight repurchase agreements impact financial markets? Do they add or subtract liquidity?

Q2. Between January 2020 and January 2022, when did the value of reverse overnight repurchase agreements peak?

You can share these graphs with your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.

Focus on Labor Force Participation Rates

This Page One Economics essay discusses how workers’ gender affects their experiences in the labor market. These include their decisions to participate in the market, the types of jobs they hold, their decisions to exit the market, and ultimately their earnings. The essay includes multiple-choice questions suitable for both in-class and out-of-class assignments.

Storytelling with Data and FRED Interactive Modules

The Great Recession: Learn how to use FRED® to understand why the 2007-2009 recession received that moniker. The FRED Interactive modules can be embedded in your learning management system.

Quiz Yourself on Gender and Labor Markets

Q1. During the 2007-2009 recession, whose unemployment rate was higher?

Q2. During the 2020 recession, whose unemployment rate was higher?

Q1. Between 1964 and 2020, in which industry did women consistently represent more than half of all employees?

Q2. Name two industries where, as of 2020, women have not yet topped 50 percent of all employees.

You can share these graphs with your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.