Ben Walsh describes some of the rationale behind the construction of the new Learning Curve exhibition on the British Empire and, in so doing, makes a strong case for placing empire generally and the British Empire in particular at the heart of historical study for all teenagers. A complex and contentious phenomenon, closely related to many different conceptions of identity today, it is the perfect topic to engage and fascinate, to build broad knowledge about big world stories, to introduce multiple perspectives and to challenge pupils out of their stereotypes and easy, simplistic moral judgements. What the National Archives’ free resource, Learning Curve, adds to this, is a range of intriguing sources, now grouped and organised around significant enquiry questions and plenty of activities designed to prompt critical thinking.