Back to School: Supporting Economic Education with Classroom Materials for All Levels
By: New York Fed
Tags: Economics, Federal Reserve, Education, Teaching And Learning

Back to School: Supporting Economic Education with Classroom Materials for All Levels

The New York Fed’s Economic Education team recognizes the vital role teachers continue to play on the front lines of the pandemic, and we value and appreciate their work. Educators are charged with instilling knowledge and inspiring curiosity, and because today’s students include tomorrow’s policymakers, the New York Fed has a suite of online resources available to support teachers in the study area of economics.

The Econ Ed team, which itself is comprised of experienced educators, provides accredited professional development, curriculum resources, and economic information — all freely available to help engage students. Featured resources include:

The Economist Spotlight series (middle school and high school): An ongoing series of illustrated biographies of economists designed to spark curiosity and interest in economics as an area of study and a future career. The series gives students an opportunity to think like economists and shows the importance and relevance of economics in our daily lives.

(middle school and high school): An ongoing series of illustrated biographies of economists designed to spark curiosity and interest in economics as an area of study and a future career. The series gives students an opportunity to think like economists and shows the importance and relevance of economics in our daily lives. Lesson plan on redlining (high school): This three-module lesson plan uses historical maps and other primary sources to illustrate the history of residential redlining in communities and examine connections between homeownership and disparities in wealth and health.

(high school): This three-module lesson plan uses historical maps and other primary sources to illustrate the history of residential redlining in communities and examine connections between homeownership and disparities in wealth and health. Comic books and comic book lesson plans (middle school and high school): Our comic book series follows a rainbow array of characters on an intergalactic journey that explores topics such as financial literacy, how money works, monetary policy, and the Federal Reserve System.

(middle school and high school): Our comic book series follows a rainbow array of characters on an intergalactic journey that explores topics such as financial literacy, how money works, monetary policy, and the Federal Reserve System. Education and Industry Forum case studies (college): Developed jointly by academics and financial firm executives, these case studies are designed to teach ethical norms to those in or entering the financial services industry.

As teachers and students embark on a new school year, the New York Fed will continue to support efforts to make the subject of economics accessible. Another resource we offer is virtual classroom visits, through which New York Fed staff members give interactive presentations introducing topics such as the Federal Reserve System, monetary policy, and college financing.

Share your feedback! We invite educators in the Federal Reserve’s Second District and across the country to use these resources when teaching economics. If you’ve used any of these educational materials in the classroom, we’d welcome your stories or feedback at nyeconed@ny.frb.org.

The views expressed in this post are those of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the New York Fed or the Federal Reserve System. New York Fed content is subject to our Terms of Use.