This paper describes the collaboration of a Writing Center director and a professor of a Fisheries Biology course in support of a research paper entitled, "The World Without," which asks students to convince readers of the likely ecological consequences associated with the extinction of a finfish species or aquatic habitat. Opportunities for feedback on various components of the paper were many, from an outline, elevator pitch, and workshop activity in the Writing Center to a peer-review session, and a more developed draft reviewed in the Writing Center. Reviewing student writing and grades over a seventeen-year timespan yielded some unexpected results. Even though the assignment became more challenging when it evolved from informational to argumentative, student grades significantly improved. Ultimately, student engagement may have been enhanced through prompt design and scaffolding activities. While the assignment challenged students with problem-based, argumentative writing, the scaffolding and interactions socialized them into the "critical thinking" of their discourse community. Future qualitative student feedback may help identify what aspects of the assignment or waypoints during the process enhanced student engagement with various aspects of higher-level thinking.