This qualitative research focuses on a curriculum, "Oil-land," designed and implemented at a public high school in the United States. The premise of the course was to explore complexities associated with the American oil and gas industry using elements of inquiry-based learning, shared dialogue, and with an expectation to take action. The research examines students enrolled in the course and their experiences in how exploring these issues using democratic ideals challenged and changed their thinking. Themes emerging from the data include how students' experiences and reflections helped them transcend binary thinking often found with complicated subject; how students were able to not only analyze issues associated with oil and gas, but humanize them as well; and how students were foster agency through their lived experiences in this course study.