A Short Story Podcast Series
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Interesting Things with JC is free to use for teaching and learning under fair use. Educators, homeschooling parents, librarians, and lifelong learners have broad rights to use the episodes and curriculum in any instructional setting. One exception applies to Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors”, which is not covered under this open educational permission.
Full curriculum support begins at Episode #1235: “Three Turns to Freedom”. Any earlier episode without curriculum can be prioritized by request. Educators may contact JimConnors LLC directly, and a matching curriculum module will be created and added to the site.
Teachers and homeschooling families are welcome to use, play, share, print, and adapt all eligible episodes and curriculum materials for lesson planning, instruction, student assignments, LMS uploads, and any other direct educational activity. No special approval is required for everyday classroom use. Crediting the show is appreciated when possible.
This permission does not extend to commercial activity. The episodes and curriculum may not be repackaged, resold, redistributed as a standalone program, or presented as original work by any third party. Any commercial or branded use requires prior written consent from JimConnors LLC. Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors” follows its own restrictions and is excluded from open educational use.
Educators may freely use the content in classrooms, homeschools, co-ops, tutoring programs, library settings, and adult education. They may revise or adapt curriculum pages, print transcripts, share episode links, or integrate materials into their lessons as needed. What is not allowed is turning the work into a paid course, selling derivatives, posting content under another brand, or redistributing the series as a separate product.
Summary:
Free for education.
Not for resale.
Not for commercial repackaging.
Episode #1235: “Three Turns to Freedom” and onward includes full curriculum.
Older episodes can receive curriculum by request.
Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors” is excluded.
All rights reserved © JimConnors LLC. -
Interesting Things with JC is available on the Podcast Radio format in the United Kingdom and the United States. Listeners can tune in on the radio in select cities or stream the station online from anywhere.
United Kingdom – Podcast Radio (UK)
Podcast Radio is a 24-hour all-podcast station based in London. It broadcasts on DAB+ digital radio across London and several other supported UK regions, with full worldwide access through its online stream.
Interesting Things with JC is included in Podcast Radio’s curated programming lineup.
Listeners in the United Kingdom can hear the station on DAB+ receivers in covered areas, through the Podcast Radio website, or through the station’s online and mobile streaming platforms.
United States – Podcast Radio US
In the United States, Interesting Things with JC airs as part of Podcast Radio US across four regional markets. The format is carried on HD Radio channels and FM translators.
Detroit, Michigan: WCSX 94.7 HD2 and 93.5 FM
Tampa Bay, Florida: 1010 WJBR AM
Charlotte, North Carolina: 94.7 FM and WSOC HD3
Fort Myers and Naples, Florida: WXKB HD2, 96.5 FM, 101.5 FM, and 105.1 FMNationwide listening is available through the station’s website at PodcastRadioUS.com.
Streaming Access
Podcast Radio UK and Podcast Radio US both offer live streaming through their official websites and mobile platforms, allowing listeners worldwide to hear Interesting Things with JC as part of the network’s curated programming.
The show is also available across major podcast and audio platforms, including Podcast Radio, Podverse, Headliner, Amazon, Apple, Audacy, Audible, Castbox, Deezer, fyyd, GoodPods, iHeartRadio, JioSaavn, Listen Notes, Pandora, PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Republic, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.
In addition to audio platforms, listeners can follow and stream content on social media through Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube.
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Start class with a short, clear story your students can follow from the first sentence. Play an episode of Interesting Things with JC and use the free curriculum to guide a full lesson with questions, activities, and applied learning.
Every episode from #1235 forward includes a modular micro lesson designed for a 30 to 45 minute class period. At the bottom of each episode page, you will find expandable sections that organize all curriculum materials for teachers, parents, and homeschool families.
Each lesson includes:
Lesson overview with title, grade band, subject area, and learning objectives
Key vocabulary with phonetic spelling and plain language definitions
Core story content created through the Precise Storytelling Framework
Full podcast transcript
Student worksheet with comprehension and writing activities
Teacher guide with pacing notes, strategies, and discussion tools
Quiz or quick check assessment with a scoring rubric
Standards alignment across multiple national and international frameworks
ADA compliant alt text for all instructional media
Links to approved primary sources used for fact checking
Guidance for homeschool adaptation and flexible scheduling
All curriculum materials are created through the Narrative Intelligence System to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and age-appropriate delivery. Lessons stay free of ideological frameworks and focus on academic content only.
Standards Alignment
Interesting Things with JC aligns each micro lesson with the following approved educational standards:
United States National Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts and Mathematics
College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3 Framework)
International Society for Technology in Education Standards (ISTE Standards)
National Core Arts Standards (NCAS)
Career and Technical Education Career Clusters (CTE Career Clusters)
Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy (ACRL Framework)
Bloom’s Taxonomy for Cognitive Learning Objectives
Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (UDL Guidelines)
Additional United States Alignment Areas
Alignment to state and provincial academic standards when content applies
Media and Information Literacy standards
Social Emotional Learning and 21st Century Skills frameworks
Financial Literacy and Employability Skills standards
English as a Second Language and World Language vocabulary support when applicable
International Academic Equivalents (Content-Based Alignment Only)
United Kingdom National Curriculum, Key Stages 3 to 5
AQA, OCR, and Edexcel Examination Board Specifications
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme (IB PYP, MYP, DP)
Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education and Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level (Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level)
Access, Use, and OER Licensing
All lessons are published as Open Educational Resources and may be used, printed, or shared for teaching and learning in classrooms, homeschools, and tutoring environments. Materials are provided for educational use under fair use and may not be resold or distributed commercially.
Episodes from #1235 forward include complete curriculum materials. If you find an older episode without a micro lesson, reach out and it will be moved to the front of the build queue. Starting with Episode #1307, each MP3 page in the RSS feed includes open text at the bottom of the page for quick access to transcripts and curriculum notes.
Teacher and homeschool feedback is always welcome to help improve clarity and layout.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
1320: "Why Do People Install Wall Plugs Upside Down?"
Interesting Things with JC #1320: "Why Do People Install Wall Plugs Upside Down?" – The outlet on your wall might be upside down, or exactly how it should be. From 1960s regulations to hospital safety tweaks, this small detail sparks a surprisingly charged debate.