I recommend you complete this assignment using Excel. If you have another software that enables you to work with data and create graphs you may use this.
Steps
Choose a topic related to Race and Inequality in the US, i.e. wealth disparity, labor market outcomes, home ownership, etc.
Explore ACS via IMPUS (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/sda/ Links to an external site.), BLS (https://www.bls.gov/cps/demographics.htm) Links to an external site. or Census (https://www.census.gov/data.html Links to an external site.) to find relevant data for this topic or another data source which I must approve first. You may need to adjust your topic depending on availability of data.
Download data of interest into excel (for BLS this will be tables that are already made). Make sure you record the data source and year. As well as a full definition of the variables you are working with. For ACS, example, click on codebook (https://sda.usa.ipums.org/sdaweb/docs/us2019a/DOC/nes.htm Links to an external site.)
Represent this data in excel graphs. Choose how to organize the data on graphs such that it is easy to read and understand. Make at least four graphs. All graphs should be clearly labeled. Clearly label the graphs in excel tabs as Graph 1, Graph 2, etc. You may choose not to present all the data you downloaded. That is ok.
Write up one to two pages of observations based on the tables you downloaded and graphs you created. You can use bullet points if you want. In your observations focus on the following:
What correlations do you notice?
How might these correlations be misleading?
What further investigation would be necessary in order to show causation rather than just correlation?
7. Submit excel and word document to me via Canvas.
Data assignment Rubric
Starting grade: 83
-3 all data not downloaded
-3 graphs messy
-3 tables unclear
-3 wrong number of graphs
-3 problems with write up
-3 poor organization of excel worksheet
+5 interesting insights on write up
+3 creative graphs
+3 additional tables and graphs
+3 particularly well organized excel spreadsheet