Mountain range with peaks lit by sunlight and grassy foreground under a clear sky.

A Short Story Podcast Series

"Interesting Things with JC" text on black radial background

Podcast Radio - Podverse - Headliner - Amazon - Apple - Audacy - Audible - Castbox - Deezer - fyyd - GoodPods - iHeartRadio - Instagram - JioSaavn - Listen Notes - Pandora - PlayerFM - PocketCasts - Podcast Republic - Podchaser - Spotify - Stitcher - Youtube

Link to Podcast Library or Scroll for Daily Feed

- Episodes run 30 seconds to 8 minutes.
- Send us your episode ideas, we’ll work the topics into future recordings, and credit you.
- Homeschooling parents, teachers, and lifelong learners get priority.
- Many episodes include free curriculum materials aligned to global standards.
Legal Disclaimer
All episodes of Interesting Things with JC are provided free of charge for educational purposes under fair use, with the exception of Episode #509. The series, including its associated curriculum and materials, may not be copied, resold, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written agreement and consent from JimConnors LLC. Unauthorized commercial use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved © JimConnors LLC.
- The podcast is currently in common carriage on the Podcast Radio Network.
- In London, you can listen to the Podcast Radio Network over the air on DAB+ and access its variety of podcasts and audio content directly through your DAB+ radio.
- In the USA, you can listen to Interesting Things with JC on Podcast Radio US in these cities:
  Detroit – WCSX 94.7 HD2
  Tampa – 1010 WJBR-AM
  Charlotte – 94.7 FM and WSOC-HD3
  Fort Myers / Naples – 96.5 FM, 101.5 FM, 105.1 FM, and WXKB-HD2
  You can also stream it nationwide at PodcastRadioUS.com
Kick off class with a quick boost. Play an episode of Interesting Things with JC to get your students interested right off the bat. The short stories are easy to follow, and the free curriculum gives you everything you need to turn that spark into a full lesson with questions, activities, and real learning.
Each episode includes a modular micro-lesson designed to support a 30 to 45 minute class. Curriculum content appears at the bottom of the episode page in easy-to-use expandable sections.
Each lesson includes:
- Lesson overview (title, grade level, subject area, learning objectives)
- Key vocabulary with phonetic spelling and plain-language definitions
- Core story content based on the Precise Storytelling Framework
- Full podcast transcript
- Student worksheet with comprehension and writing prompts
- Teacher guide with pacing, strategies, and discussion tools
- Quiz and assessment rubric
- Standards alignment across multiple global frameworks
We are currently piloting lesson alignment to:

Approved Standards – High-Level List
- NGSS – Next Generation Science Standards
- CCSS – Common Core State Standards (ELA and Math)
- C3 Framework – College, Career & Civic Life (Social Studies)
- ISTE Standards – Technology and Digital Literacy
- NCAS – National Core Arts Standards
- CTE Career Clusters – U.S. Career & Technical Education
- ACRL Framework – Higher Ed Information Literacy
- Bloom’s Taxonomy – Cognitive Learning Objectives
- UDL – Universal Design for Learning (Accessibility Support)
International Academic Equivalents (Content-Only)
- UK National Curriculum – Key Stages 3–5 (England)
- AQA / OCR / Edexcel – UK Exam Board Specifications
- IB (International Baccalaureate) – PYP, MYP, DP (academic subjects only)
- Cambridge International – IGCSE, AS/A-Level (non-political content areas)
All lessons are open educational resources (OER) and designed with homeschool flexibility in mind.
Disclaimer:Interesting Things with JC and its companion curriculum are provided for educational purposes under fair use. They are free to access and share for teaching and learning, but not for resale or commercial distribution.
- Examples: Browse any episode from #1235 to the present.
- Format Update: Starting with Episode #1307, each MP3 page in the RSS includes open text at the bottom for easier access.
- Feedback: Curriculum users, your input helps improve layout and usability. Your feedback is welcomed.
- Older Episodes: If you find one without curriculum, drop me a line. I’ll prioritize building it out. The goal is for every episode to have full resources.

JC 7/10/25 JC 7/10/25

1340: "Ellesmere Island in Canada"

Interesting Things with JC #1340: "Ellesmere Island in Canada" – Where frost bites the wind and ancient landscapes refuse to blink, Ellesmere is more than remote, it's myth made real.

JC 7/9/25 JC 7/9/25

1339: "Zoroastrianism"

Interesting Things with JC #1339: "Zoroastrianism" – Before angels had wings and Satan had a name, there was a battle between light and darkness. This ancient faith shaped empires, and echoes through ours.

JC 7/8/25 JC 7/8/25

1338: "Don't Skip Lunch"

Interesting Things with JC #1338: "Don't Skip Lunch" – It’s just lunch, until it isn’t. One skipped meal can change more than your mood. It can change what you do, what you decide… even who you become.

JC 7/7/25 JC 7/7/25

1337: "Tamerlane"

Interesting Things with JC #1337: "Tamerlane" – He moved like a shadow, ruled with fire. From pyramids of skulls to Persian mosaics, the story of Timur is one of terror, and legacy.

JC 7/6/25 JC 7/6/25

1336: "Iceland Has No Trees"

Interesting Things with JC #1336: "Iceland Has No Trees" - You’ve heard it before: “There are no trees in Iceland.” But is that true? This episode takes a quick dive into the history behind the claim and what really happened. Curriculum related to this episode is available free on the website.

JC 7/5/25 JC 7/5/25

1335: "The Housefly That Didn't Drown"

Interesting Things with JC #1335: "The Housefly That Didn't Drown" - A housefly slips beneath the surface. No drama, just biology...fine hairs, a bit of wax, and a bubble of air. It's not designed to dive, but sometimes, it doesn’t drown either.

JC 7/4/25 JC 7/4/25

1334: "1775: When Independence Became Inevitable"

Interesting Things with JC #1334: "1775: When Independence Became Inevitable" – Before Congress. Before declarations. Before armies. In the early light of April 19, a shot was fired and with it, a nation was set irreversibly on the path to independence.

JC 7/3/25 JC 7/3/25

1333: "Why Doesn't South America Have Hurricanes?"

Interesting Things with JC #1333: "Why Doesn't South America Have Hurricanes?" – The water’s warm. The ocean’s the same. But hurricanes almost never hit South America. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not what most people think.

JC 7/2/25 JC 7/2/25

1332: "The Fighter Mafia"

Interesting Things with JC #1332: "The Fighter Mafia" – Inspired by listener Chris Woodul, we revisit a secret rebellion inside the Air Force. They weren’t antiwar. They were protruth. Their fight? Making jets that could actually win.

JC 7/1/25 JC 7/1/25

1331: "The Sheep That Stopped the Bite"

Interesting Things with JC #1331: "The Sheep That Stopped the Bite" – When venom struck and hospitals were too far, one animal quietly changed the odds. It didn’t bite back. It built the cure.

JC 6/30/25 JC 6/30/25

1330: "The General Who Gave Reform Its Rank"

Interesting Things with JC #1330: "The General Who Gave Reform Its Rank" – He was shot down, captured, and held for 2,488 days. But when Charles G. Boyd returned, he didn’t seek revenge, he reimagined the Air Force. With rank, resolve, and reform.

JC 6/29/25 JC 6/29/25

1329: "The Queen of Vacations – Beverly D'Angelo"

Interesting Things with JC #1329: "The Queen of Vacations – Beverly D'Angelo" - She didn’t crash the car, but she held the story together. For 32 years, Beverly D’Angelo anchored one of comedy’s most chaotic families with charm, wit, and pure feminine grace.

JC 6/28/25 JC 6/28/25

1328: "The Year Hitler, Stalin, Trotsky, and Freud Were Neighbors"

Interesting Things with JC #1328: "The Year Hitler, Stalin, Trotsky, and Freud Were Neighbors" – Vienna, 1913: four men, two miles apart. Before the war. Before the world changed.

JC 6/27/25 JC 6/27/25

1327: "The Impossible Coin Flip"

Interesting Things with JC #1327: "The Impossible Coin Flip" – You’re blindfolded, facing 100 coins. Ten are heads-up. Your task? Split them into two piles with equal heads...without knowing which is which. A puzzle that tests logic, not luck.

JC 6/26/25 JC 6/26/25

1326: "Patent No. 5,255,452: Michael Jackson’s Secret to the Lean"

Interesting Things with JC #1326: "Patent No. 5,255,452: Michael Jackson’s Secret to the Lean" – He leaned forward at 45 degrees in front of 40,000 people and didn’t fall. The trick wasn’t just in the shoes. It was in a patent, a plan, and a performer unlike any other.

JC 6/25/25 JC 6/25/25

1326: "Before the Crown - A Tribute to the Career of Michael Jackson"

Interesting Things with JC #1326: "Before the Crown - A Tribute to the Career of Michael Jackson" – Before he wore the glove, before he moonwalked Michael Jackson studied silence, precision, and control. The crown wasn’t claimed. It was earned.

JC 6/24/25 JC 6/24/25

1324: "A Simple Riddle 11"

Interesting Things with JC #1324: "A Simple Riddle 11" – What seems obvious at first glance might be a clever trap. In this eleventh riddle challenge, logic twists, and certainty falters. Can you see past the setup?

JC 6/23/25 JC 6/23/25

1323: "The Human Fingernail"

Interesting Things with JC #1323: "The Human Fingernail" – It's not just keratin. It's memory. Nails reveal illness, archive exposure, and timestamp trauma, layer by layer. It's one of the body's most honest records.

JC 6/22/25 JC 6/22/25

1322: "Chevy Corvette C2"

Interesting Things with JC #1322: "Chevy Corvette C2" – It wasn’t just a car, it was America’s muscular rebuttal to European speed. When the Sting Ray hit, the road culture roared.

JC 6/21/25 JC 6/21/25

#1321: "Carroll O'Connor"

Interesting Things with JC #1321: "Carroll O'Connor" – He wanted to write books. Instead, he became the most complicated man on television...and helped America argue with itself.