A Short Story Podcast Series
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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.
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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 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
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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 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.
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.
1440: “Start of the Cuban Missile Crisis”
Interesting Things with JC #1440: “Start of the Cuban Missile Crisis” – A single flight over Cuba revealed the weapons that nearly ended the world. Thirteen days, two superpowers, one narrow escape from nuclear war. How reason and restraint kept humanity alive.
1438: "Diane Keaton"
Interesting Things with JC #1438: "Diane Keaton" – She turned down the spotlight, and still changed what it meant to be a leading lady. A life built on quiet defiance and stunning reinvention.
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.
1435: “The Tiny Sausages of Nuremberg”
Interesting Things with JC #1435: “The Tiny Sausages of Nuremberg” – In a city once scarred by war, the first thing to return was the smoke from the grill. Nuremberg’s tiny sausages still tell the story of survival, pride, and the taste of home.
1434: "Thelonious Monk and the Shape of Modern Jazz"
Interesting Things with JC #1434: "Thelonious Monk and the Shape of Modern Jazz" – He didn’t chase the beat; he bent it. From gospel roots to Harlem’s late nights, Thelonious Monk shaped jazz by refusing to sound like anyone else, and changed how music thinks.
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.
1429: "Alternate and Special Uniforms in the NFL"
Interesting Things with JC #1429: "Alternate and Special Uniforms in the NFL" – From leather helmets to chrome facemasks, football’s look has mirrored America’s own evolution. This episode traces how nostalgia, marketing, and meaning collide every time a team takes the field in something new, or something old.
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.
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.
1425: "The Steam That Moved a Nation"
Interesting Things with JC #1425: "The Steam That Moved a Nation" – It wasn’t made for looks. It was made to pull half a mountain. At Steamtown, the ghost of American industry still breathes iron and fire. Step aboard.
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.
1421: "Carbonated Soda"
Interesting Things with JC #1421: "Carbonated Soda" – From 18th-century experiments with “fixed air” to the hiss of a modern can, soda has carried medicine, rivalry, and ritual into everyday life. The bubbles may vanish, but the story still fizzes.
1420: "Vanta Black"
Interesting Things with JC #1420: "Vanta Black" – It’s not just black, vantablack is the absence of shape itself. Discover the color that bends perception, ignites a feud, and vanishes light like a trapdoor in space. This episode was suggested and inspired by Dr Igo.
1419: "Stanislaw Petrow"
Interesting Things with JC #1419: "Stanislaw Petrow" – One officer. Five false missiles. A moment that could have ended the world, and the judgment that saved it.