Primary Objective: This study examines student reaction to a unit of instruction teaching war through a more critical lens focusing on anti-war movements and how student sense of civic agency was impacted. Research Design: A design study that centered student voice on activism and experiences of a unit of instruction of the USA at war. Design study was used to surface student experience, understanding and perspective. Outcomes and Results: Students gained greater awareness of the USA at war and the history of the anti-war movement. Students gained a more robust understanding of civic agency and how to engage in acts of change. Many students indicated they were unlikely to participate in activism because of the overwhelming complexity of the problem of war. Conclusions: This research speaks to the problem of educating students about critical civic agency and literacy as well as developing engaged and activist youth and adults. It provides guidance and commentary on how to organize and arrange curriculum to complicate topics typically taught in traditional curriculum to teach skills of activism and societal change. This article reconsiders how we can examine content in a more critical and authentic way.