Teaching How Profit Shaped America’s Prison System: Two Strategies to Build Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Understanding the origins of the American prison system can transform the way students think about justice, economics, and the role of government. Many assume that prisons have always functioned the way they do today, but the history tells a very different story.
The reading in How Profit Shaped America’s Prison System traces this evolution from the 1700s to the mid-1800s. It shows how Britain used convict labor in the colonies, how early American penitentiaries blended moral reform with economic motives, and how institutions like the Auburn Prison turned inmates into silent laborers for private companies. By following this narrative, students begin to see a clear pattern: profit has shaped punishment in significant ways throughout American history, often at the expense of fairness and human dignity.
Before students dive into a topic this complex, it helps to ground their learning in activities that build curiosity and prepare them to think critically. Below are two strategies to help you introduce this content in an engaging and accessible way.
Strategy #1: Use a Moral Question to Frame the Lesson
One of the most effective ways to introduce this topic is to start with a short moral inquiry. Write this on the board before students arrive:
“Should prisons ever be allowed to make money? Explain your reasoning.”
Give students three minutes to respond in writing, then invite them to share with a partner or small group.
This simple warm-up does several things:
It activates their prior knowledge and assumptions.
It surfaces misconceptions that the reading will later address.
It creates an emotional and intellectual stake in the lesson.
It provides a clear purpose for reading: students will look for evidence that supports or challenges their initial stance.
By the time you introduce the historical material, students are already invested in the central theme of the lesson.
Strategy #2: Teach Students to Trace a Theme Over Time
This reading is perfect for helping students practice a higher-level literacy skill: tracing a theme across a historical narrative.
Before handing out the text, introduce or review a simple organizer with three columns:
Theme → Evidence → How the Evidence Shows the Theme
Then model how to use it with a short excerpt. For example, read a paragraph about British convict transportation and point out how the sale of convict labor reveals the theme of profit influencing punishment decisions.
Once you’ve modeled the process, students can use the same organizer to follow the theme through the entire reading. They will see how economic incentives shaped the Walnut Street Jail, Auburn Prison, and the rise of factory-like penitentiaries — patterns that give them deeper insight into the article’s central argument.
This strategy not only builds content knowledge but also reinforces essential reading and analysis skills that students need across social studies.
Where the Worksheet Fits In
After using one or both strategies, students will be ready to dig into the full historical narrative with depth and purpose. This is where How Profit Shaped America’s Prison System becomes especially effective. The reading and accompanying questions guide students through the major developments in early American incarceration, pushing them to think critically about the forces that shaped the system.
The worksheet includes a rich, student-friendly article, rigorous comprehension questions, higher-order thinking prompts, vocabulary practice, and a connect-to-self reflection. Everything is structured to help students build understanding step-by-step while supporting the literacy skills they need in social science.
If you’re looking for a resource that blends strong historical content with meaningful reading practice — and fits seamlessly with the strategies above — this worksheet can serve as a ready-to-use centerpiece for your lesson.