A Short Story Podcast Series
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
-
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.
-
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.
1449: "The Encantado"
Interesting Things with JC #1449: "The Encantado" – In the Amazon, a pink dolphin dances as a man. He laughs, he charms, then vanishes into water, with someone missing beside him. Myth or biology? The river knows.
1448: "Fall Foliage"
Interesting Things with JC #1448: "Fall Foliage" – The forests turn to fire each autumn, but behind that color lies an interesting secret, one the trees have been keeping all year. This episode was inspired by a dear friend of the podcast and lover of NY Islanders, Dr. Igo.
1447: "The Invention That Rewired the World"
Interesting Things with JC #1447: "The Invention That Rewired the World" – A ring of iron. Two coils. And a spark that crossed space. From a flicker in 1831 to the highways of the future, Faraday's experiment never stopped moving.
1446: "Transmitting Electricity Through the Air"
Interesting Things with JC #1446: "Transmitting Electricity Through the Air" – A century ago, Nikola Tesla dared to electrify the sky. Today, his once-abandoned dream flickers back to life, lighting the path between science and imagination.
1443: "Carbon Fiber"
Interesting Things with JC #1443: "Carbon Fiber" – Metal was strong but heavy. Plastic was light but weak. Carbon found the space between...threads thin as hair, strong enough to reshape flight. From Edison’s glow to hypersonic shells, the lightest answers carried the most force.
1442: "Albrecht Dürer"
Interesting Things with JC #1442: "Albrecht Dürer" – He carved apocalypse from wood, measured beauty with calipers, and turned art into a science. What happens when precision becomes philosophy?
1441: "A Simple Riddle 12"
Interesting Things with JC #1441: "A Simple Riddle 12" – What starts with a question, stalls for suspense, and ends with a smile? This riddle waits patiently for you to press pause… if you dare.
1439: "Shenzhou 5 – China’s First Human Spaceflight"
Interesting Things with JC #1439: "Shenzhou 5 – China’s First Human Spaceflight" – One man. One orbit. A nation’s arrival in space. Discover how a single rocket launched China into the spacefaring elite.
1437: "The Silkworm"
Interesting Things with JC #1437: "The Silkworm" – It starts small but spins big. A little worm gave the world silk, built trade routes, and still beats high-tech materials. Not bad for something that never makes it out alive.
1436: "Quantum Entanglement – Spooky Action at a Distance"
Interesting Things with JC #1436: "Quantum Entanglement – Spooky Action at a Distance" – Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” Two particles, light-years apart, moving in perfect sync. Physics says it’s real. The universe says everything might be connected.
1433: "The James Webb Space Telescope"
Interesting Things with JC #1433: "The James Webb Space Telescope" – A grain of sand held at arm’s length reveals thousands of galaxies in the dark, light that began before Earth existed. The James Webb Space Telescope proves human hands can reach back to the dawn of time.
1432: "The Lowell Observatory"
Interesting Things with JC #1432: "The Lowell Observatory" – On a hill above Flagstaff, one man’s private telescope reached for the unknown, and found it.
1431: "Viewing 3I/ATLAS from Mars"
Interesting Things with JC #1431: "Viewing 3I/ATLAS from Mars" – When an interstellar comet swept past Mars, our machines looked up. From the red soil to orbit’s edge, they captured a visitor from beyond the Sun, our first interplanetary glimpse of an interstellar traveler.
1430: "Richard Dedekind Redefining Number Theory"
Interesting Things with JC #1430: "Richard Dedekind Redefining Number Theory" – He didn’t invent numbers. He defined what they are. From infinite sets to algebraic ideals, Dedekind gave mathematics its solid ground, and changed how we measure everything.
1428: "Jane Goodall"
Interesting Things with JC #1428: "Jane Goodall" – She began as a girl with a dog and a dream, and left as the voice of a planet. At 91, Jane Goodall’s story is still unfinished, because it lives in us.
1427: "GPS Trackers on Birds"
Interesting Things with JC #1427: "GPS Trackers on Birds" – A bird vanishes into the horizon, yet its path is traced across continents. Migration turns from mystery into maps, revealing endurance, surprise, and change in the skies.
1426: "The Tunnel of Whiteface Mountain"
Interesting Things with JC #1426: "The Tunnel of Whiteface Mountain" – Beneath the Adirondacks, a hidden passage carved in billion-year-old stone leads not only to a summit, but to a promise: that even those who could not climb could stand at the top of the world.
1424: "The Mustang"
Interesting Things with JC #1424: "The Mustang" – They began here, vanished for millennia, and returned as outsiders. Now, they're icons. But the real Mustang story runs far deeper.
1423: "Three Kings Kaikomako"
Interesting Things with JC #1423: "Three Kings Kaikomako" – On a windswept island stripped bare by goats, one tree refused to vanish. A single survivor held the line for its entire species. Its rescue was a race against extinction, saved by one branch, one act, one chance.
1422: "What the Garden Gives Back"
Interesting Things with JC #1422: "What the Garden Gives Back" – Touch the soil, and something happens. Science now shows what generations already knew: dirt can calm your mind, steady your body, and heal your spirit. This episode, dedicated to Educator Kate, uncovers the hidden medicine waiting in the ground.