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A Short Story Podcast Series

"Interesting Things with JC" text on black radial background

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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 7/30/25 JC 7/30/25

1360: "Invisible Ink"

Interesting Things with JC #1360: "Invisible Ink" – It wasn’t magic. It was chemistry. Messages hidden in sweat, milk, even matchbooks...when speaking could mean death, science spoke instead.

JC 7/29/25 JC 7/29/25

1359: "The Runit Dome"

Interesting Things with JC #1359: "The Runit Dome" – In the middle of the Pacific, a concrete dome holds the aftermath of 43 nuclear blasts. But it was never built to last. And the ocean is rising.

JC 7/28/25 JC 7/28/25

1358: "George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso"

Interesting Things with JC #1358: "George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso" – He built a sound that crossed oceans and refused to erase where it came from. A voice for islanders, a legacy for everyone.

JC 7/27/25 JC 7/27/25

1357: "Hulk Hogan"

Interesting Things with JC #1357: "Hulk Hogan" – He slammed giants, wore red and gold, and called you brother. But behind the legend was Terry Bollea. Loyal, flawed, and full of heart.

JC 7/26/25 JC 7/26/25

1356: "Chuck Mangione"

Interesting Things with JC #1356: "Chuck Mangione" – Before jazz was cool, Chuck Mangione made it human. From Grammy stages to hometown gyms, his flugelhorn spoke in feeling, not fame. He didn’t just play music. He gave it a voice you could carry with you.

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

1355: "Malcolm-Jamal Warner"

Interesting Things with JC #1356: "Malcolm-Jamal Warner" – He grew up on camera, but never lost who he was. A quiet binder, a bass guitar, and a mother’s vision shaped a legacy no spotlight could define.

JC 7/24/25 JC 7/24/25

1354: "John Michael 'Ozzy' Osbourne"

Interesting Things with JC #1354: "John Michael 'Ozzy' Osbourne" – He didn’t invent heavy metal, but he gave it a soul. From a Birmingham slum to global icon, Ozzy's voice was pain, prayer, and power.

JC 7/23/25 JC 7/23/25

1353: "Interglacial Period"

Interesting Things with JC #1353: "Interglacial Period" – We’re not at the end of an ice age. We’re in a brief warm pause. From orbit to solar cycles, Earth’s climate has rules, and we may be breaking them.

JC 7/22/25 JC 7/22/25

1352: "The Soto Dolmen in Trigueros, Spain"

Interesting Things with JC #1352: "The Soto Dolmen in Trigueros, Spain" – Hidden beneath an earthen mound lies a solar-aligned tomb older than Stonehenge, carved with symbols that still whisper across 5,000 years.

JC 7/21/25 JC 7/21/25

1351: "Mitochondria"

Interesting Things with JC #1351: "Mitochondria" – They power your body, track your ancestry, and may even hold the secrets to aging. These microscopic engines have a story 2 billion years in the making.

JC 7/20/25 JC 7/20/25

1350: "The Kiss Cam"

Interesting Things with JC #1350: "The Kiss Cam" – What began as a quiet camera cue at Dodger Stadium became a global spotlight of truth, tenderness, and sometimes betrayal.

JC 7/19/25 JC 7/19/25

1349: "Connie Francis"

Interesting Things with JC #1349: "Connie Francis" – She gave her voice to others, and sometimes to nations. From ghost-singer to Cold War subversive, her story was never just about fame. It was about survival.

JC 7/18/25 JC 7/18/25

1348: "Ozempic Venom"

Interesting Things with JC #1348: "Ozempic Venom" – Before it became a billion-dollar weight loss drug, it was just spit from a venomous lizard. This is the unlikely journey from desert predator to medical marvel.

JC 7/17/25 JC 7/17/25

1347: "Kola Superdeep Borehole"

Interesting Things with JC #1347: "Kola Superdeep Borehole" – They weren't looking for oil. Or hell. Just answers. What Soviet scientists found beneath the crust changed our view of Earth forever...and nearly broke their drill.

JC 7/16/25 JC 7/16/25

1346: "Napoleon's Rabbit Hunt Gone Wrong!"

Interesting Things with JC #1346: "Napoleon's Rabbit Hunt Gone Wrong!" – He defeated Europe’s armies...but not a swarm of bunnies. A celebration turned stampede reveals the absurdity hiding behind power.

JC 7/15/25 JC 7/15/25

1345: "Flash Floods"

Interesting Things with JC #1345: "Flash Floods" – A few hours of rain. A 30-foot wall of water. How does that happen, and how do you survive it? This is not just weather. It's terrain. It's physics. It's personal.

JC 7/14/25 JC 7/14/25

1344: "The SnackWrap Guy of Hendersonville"

Interesting Things with JC #1344: "The SnackWrap Guy of Hendersonville" – One man, one missing menu item, and a TikTok campaign that turned craving into comeback. What started in a drive-thru became something no one expected.

JC 7/13/25 JC 7/13/25

1343: "The Cochno Stone"

Interesting Things with JC #1343: "The Cochno Stone" – Buried beneath a quiet hill in Scotland lies a prehistoric mystery: a massive carved stone etched by hands we’ll never meet, speaking a language we still don’t understand.

JC 7/12/25 JC 7/12/25

1342: "Jumping Out of a Moving Car"

Interesting Things with JC #1342: "Jumping Out of a Moving Car" – Hollywood shows the jump. Real life shows the landing. At 30 mph, the road isn’t forgiving...it’s final. This episode collides speed, fear, and physics.

JC 7/11/25 JC 7/11/25

1341: "The History of 7-Eleven"

Interesting Things with JC #1341: "The History of 7-Eleven" – Before Slurpees, it was just ice. What started as a Dallas ice dock transformed into a global empire redefining how, and when, we shop. From totems to Tokyo, convenience was engineered.