This essay focuses on research into the historic price of something.  Compare the price in some year in the past to the price today.  Knowing the the average rate of inflation in the United States is 3.43%, did the item you selected price go up (or down) by about the same as the national average?  More?  Less?

research into the historic price of something.

Go online and do a little research into the historic price of something.  Compare the price in some year in the past to the price today.  Knowing the the average rate of inflation in the United States is 3.43%, did the item you selected price go up (or down) by about the same as the national average?  More?  Less?
Do a little research and find the historical price of something.  What was the price of the item in the year you selected?  What is the price of the same of the same item today?

How much has the price inflated?

What are some of the reasons for the inflation?  Has the price of the item you selected increased faster than the general rate of inflation?  Slower?  Why?  Use the reading (Ch. 9) (though not assigned yet Ch. 16 may help a little as well) as a guide to apply the concepts of inflation related to item you selected.
This hopefully will a fun post. I have put together a sample to help get you going.
Here are some sites to help with your research:

1)Firstly,  A percent change calculator: http://www.percent-change.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
2)Secondly,  Inflation calculator: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
3)Finally,  A good table that will show the price levels going back to the beginning of the US. http://oregonstate.edu/cla/polisci/sites/default/files/faculty-research/sahr/inflation-conversion/pdf/sumprice_1774-2012.pdf  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.