Crash Course Sociology Episode | 24 Social Class and Poverty in U.S.

Compare Marx's two-class model (bourgeoisie/proletariat) with Weber's multidimensional definition of social class (income, education, power, prestige).

Identify the five social classes sociologists use to describe American society and a defining characteristic of each.

Explain how the federal poverty level is calculated and identify groups particularly vulnerable to poverty.

Pause the video after the Marx and Weber sections (questions 2-4) to confirm students can articulate the difference between the two theorists' definitions before moving on to the five-class breakdown.

Have students look up the current federal poverty guideline for their household size after question 13, since the worksheet explains how the threshold is set without citing a specific dollar figure.

Use the separate answer key for a quick self- or peer-check pass, since it gives a full explanation with specific percentages rather than a one-word answer for every item.

Comparative theory analysis — students distinguish Marx's two-class model from Weber's multidimensional definition of social class (questions 2-4).

Statistical interpretation — students record specific figures from the video, such as the percentage of Americans in the lower class and the percentage of low-income children who complete college.

Causal reasoning about social issues — students explain competing individual and systemic theories for the causes of poverty (question 15).