Teaching struggling secondary students concepts that lead to critical thinking and writing forced the author to find methods to increase engagement and motivation. Using controversial topics proved to be a successful vehicle for embedding concepts and skills while engaging all students in meaningful discussions and assignments. In this article, the author explains how the events of 9/11 and the controversial theories regarding the crash of Flight 93 were used to teach critical examination of multiple texts and persuasive writing using textual evidence to support a stance. The author discovered that introducing controversy increased student engagement and taught students to read critically and write persuasively.