Students seek to understand the 'why' behind what they are learning in the classroom. Although answering 'why' they have to learn something can be challenging in the moment, supporting students to understand the context and application of what they are learning is essential to getting students to truly make sense of the information gained and be positioned to use their knowledge effectively throughout their lives. This article will analyze what prompts students to ask why they are learning family and consumer sciences (FCS) content, explore the theoretical framework of the critical science approach to identify practices that can help students answer this question, and then present recommendations and considerations for how FCS teachers can implement these principles into the practice in a Clothing and Textiles course to better support students in their learning.