A Short Story Podcast Series
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Episodes vary in duration from 30 seconds to 8 minutes.
All episodes are royalty free in their entirety—except for #509.
If you have an idea for an episode, please reach out to our team and we’ll happily schedule the topic for a future recording.
Priority is given to homeschooling parents, teachers, educators, and lifelong learning professionals.
Select episodes now include free curriculum materials at the bottom of the episode page, designed to support open education initiatives, teachers, classrooms, and homeschool use. These materials are aligned to multiple educational standards globally.
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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 over the air in various cities: in Detroit on 93.5 FM and WCSX-94.7 HD2, in Tampa on 1010 WHFS-AM, in Charlotte on 94.7 FM and WSOC-HD3, and in Ft. Myers/Naples on 96.5 FM, 101.5 FM, 105.1 FM, and WXKB-HD2.
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Curriculum Summary for Educators, Homeschoolers, and Lifelong Learners
Interesting Things with JC now features free curriculum materials to go with select episodes, created for teachers, homeschool families, and curious learners of all ages.
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 ListNGSS – 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.
To review examples, check out any episode from #1235 to today, just scroll down.
Beginning with Episode #1307 we’re shifting to an open text format at the bottom of every MP3 page in the RSS. This should allow greater ease of access.
If you are using the curriculum your feedback is greatly appreciated, that’s how iterations like this continue to drive changes in the layout, and useability.
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If you intend to feature the series on your podcast or use it in your broadcast feed as interstitial content, please tag us on social media and/or send us an email.
1308: "Hyperion"
Interesting Things with JC #1308: "Hyperion" – Deep in a fog-drenched forest, a 379-foot redwood reaches the edge of biology’s limits. But getting close could destroy it forever.
1023: "Dashe Cellars"
Interesting Things with JC #1023: "Dashe Cellars" - Explore how Michael and Anne Dashe’s passion for winemaking led to the creation of Dashe Cellars, a pioneering urban winery in Alameda, CA, known for its exceptional, sustainable wines.
1022: "Eastside Sports, Bishop California"
Interesting Things with JC #1022: "Eastside Sports, Bishop California" - Explore the legacy of Wilson’s Eastside Sports, a family-owned mountain sports store in Bishop, CA, providing gear and local expertise since 1977.
992: "The Myth of Code 420"
Interesting Things with JC #992: "The Myth of Code 420" - This episode delves into the actual origins of "420", a term mistakenly believed to be a police code for marijuana but actually coined by a group of high school friends in California during the 1970s. Discover how their inside joke spread through the Grateful Dead's community, becoming a global symbol of cannabis culture.
806: "Monster Pumpkin"
Interesting Things with JC #806: "Monster Pumpkin" - Minnesota's horticulture teacher smashes the world record with a colossal 2,749-pound jack-o'-lantern in California. Embrace the journey from a vibrant pumpkin garden to this horticultural marvel, and discover the passion that fueled this remarkable feat.
676: "The Winchester Mystery House - An Architectural Enigma"
Interesting Things with JC #676: "The Winchester Mystery House - An Architectural Enigma" - Step into the world of the iconic Winchester Mystery House, an architectural marvel nestled in San Jose. Explore its labyrinthine corridors, peculiar staircases, and rooms that defy logic, while delving into the supernatural tales that surround it. Brace yourself for a captivating journey through an enigmatic mansion that will leave you spellbound!
563: "Battle for Los Angeles - 1942"
Interesting Things with JC #563: "Battle for Los Angeles - 1942" - Discover the untold story of the Battle of Los Angeles during World War II, where a weather balloon triggered a city-wide blackout and anti-aircraft fire, leading to confusion and chaos. To this day some people believe aliens were involved, while others blame meteorologists.
521: "Folsom Prison Blues"
Interesting Things with JC #521: "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash records a live album inside Folsom State Prison in 1968, becomes a country music legend, and sheds light on prison realities.
501: "Candy Canes"
Interesting Things with JC #501: "Candy Canes" - The candy cane was created in the 17th century in Germany and popularized in the early 1900s with added red stripes.
430: "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio"
Interesting Things with JC #430: "Disney Brothers Studio" - On October 16, 1923, Walt and his brother Roy opened a cartoon studio in Hollywood, California, called the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.
364: “The Burbank Aviation Museum”
Interesting Things with JC #364: “The Burbank Aviation Museum” is located in the Portal of the Folded Wings, in Valhalla Cemetery. It's open the first Sunday of each month unless it's a holiday or a rainy day. Free admission 1-3 PM. The Portal of Folded Wings, is a 75-foot-tall "Shrine to Aviation" and is the final resting place of fifteen aviation pioneers.
335: "Point Bonita Lighthouse"
Interesting Things with JC #335: "Point Bonita Lighthouse" sits near the end of Bonita Cove in the Marin Headlands, just 20 minutes from the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a historic location and the only lighthouse in the United States that is reached by a suspension bridge!
333: "Garden Joy"
Interesting Things with JC #333: "Garden Joy" - Born from a one-acre plot on Main Street in Ripon, California, this volunteer organization provides thousands of pounds of organic vegetables for the community as well as offers classes, tours, and facilitates field trips for hundreds of local youth.
By encouraging home gardening and providing educational programs to promote positive social contact and recreation, they are making a long-lasting impact on the community's nutritional knowledge and the people's eating habits.
Please visit gardenjoyca.com for more information.
332: "Modesto"
Interesting Things with JC #332: "Modesto" - The Central Pacific Railroad established the city of Modesto in the 1860s. William Chapman Ralston, a railway director, was meant to be honored by having the city bear his name, but he graciously rejected it. Workers who spoke Spanish and attended the naming ceremony for the city found this quite humble of him. The city was thus given the name Modesto.
331: "California Wine"
Interesting Things with JC #331: "California Wine" - Join me as I take you on a journey through the history of this legendary region, beginning in 1769 and continuing to the present day.
328: "The Great Valley Museum"
Interesting Things with JC #328: "The Great Valley Museum" encourages action toward learning about, enjoying, and maintaining our natural history and environment. It also opens minds and touches hearts. Located on Blue Gum Ave, in Modesto California inside the Modesto Junior College…and their planetarium is amazing!
326: "Great Valley Farming & Drought"
Interesting Things with JC #326: "Great Valley Farming & Drought" Almond growers are worried about how this may impact the quality of their product over the coming years because the Sacramento Valley has also been affected hard. The Valley is laid out such that water may move from one area to the next, like a series of stairs. As a result, water is utilized very effectively, with almost all of it going toward sustaining life, whether it be plant or animal production. Retaining water during rainy years to help during drought, creating more water storage, such as the proposed Sites Reservoir, could be critically helpful.
325: "The Great Valley of California"
Interesting Things with JC #325: "The Great Valley of California" is a 20,000-square-mile structural depression that is one of the world's most notable. The Valley is approximately 50 miles wide and 400 miles long, stretching northwest from the Tehachapi Mountains to Redding. More than 250 different crops, worth an estimated $17 billion, are grown here annually.
324: "Catching Grapes"
Interesting Things with JC #324: "Catching Grapes" - It's not easy to catch grapes in your mouth, but today we look at the world record holder who caught a grape over a distance of 108 meters, as well as holders of other impressive grape catching world records!
320: "Anaheim Peppers"
Interesting Things #320: "Anaheim Peppers" - These peppers have the name of the US city of Anaheim, California. They were first grown by a farmer called Emilio Ortega in New Mexico. In 1894, he brought the peppers to Anaheim, California, where he started to grow them for profit. The pepper continues to enjoy widespread popularity and they also go by the names of California chile and Magdalena.