As a social studies teacher, the author emphasizes the story of history (sticking to the facts as much as they are known) and the human qualities of the players. Middle school kids are in the throes of exploring self-identity and attempting to define their worlds. They love drama, and history provides plenty of it. The author finds that teaching history as dramatic stories of human weaknesses, strengths, failures, and triumphs inspires them. In this article she discusses the history of the town of Paterson, New Jersey, where she is a middle school teacher, along with teaching techniques she uses in her history classes.