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.
588: "St Patrick Blue"
Interesting Things with JC #588: “St Patrick Blue” - The earliest depictions of St. Patrick show him dressed in blue garments rather than green, and when George III established the Order of St. Patrick for the Kingdom of Ireland, its official color was azure blue, known as "St. Patrick's Blue."
587: “St Patrick and the Shamrock”
Interesting Things with JC #587: “St Patrick and the Shamrock” - Saint Patrick is said to have used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, but did he?
586: “St Patrick got rid of the Snakes”
Interesting Things with JC #586: “St Patrick got rid of the Snakes” - One of the legends surrounding St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and expelled all snakes from Ireland, causing all serpents to slither away into the sea.
585: "Saint Patrick"
Interesting Things with JC #585: "Saint Patrick" - Discover the fascinating life of Saint Patrick, the man behind the legend. From captive to missionary, his journey is one of hardship, faith, and triumph.
560: "Great Balls of Fire"
Interesting Things with JC #560: "Great Balls of Fire" - Have you ever heard of ball lightning? This mysterious phenomenon is still not fully understood by scientists.
531: "Bananas Glow Blue Under Black Light"
Interesting Things with JC #531: "Bananas Glow Blue Under Black Light" - Ripening bananas reveal secrets of cell death under UV light.
275: "The First Colour Photograph"
Interesting Things with JC #275: "The First Colour Photograph” - On May 17th 1861 Scottish physicist James Maxwell revealed the first colour photograph at King's College in London. The photo is actually a composite of three black and white pictures, each taken through a red, green and blue filter. The images were overlayed through projection of three similarly filtered lenses, which resulted in display of a colour photograph.
268: "Neuschwanstein Castle”
Interesting Things with JC #268: "Neuschwanstein Castle” - Schloss Neuschwanstein means "New Swan Castle", it's a long standing wonder and landmark on a rugged hill, rising majestically above the village of Hohenschwangau in the Southwest Bavaria of Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the 19th century by the desires of Ludwig II of Bavaria. The Castle is tremendous, at approximately 6,039square meters / 65,000 square feet, and is said to have inspired Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland!
192 - Interesting Things: Color Perception
It's the surface of an object that reflects some colors and absorbs all the others. We perceive only the reflected colors. Perceived color depends on how an object absorbs and reflects wavelengths. Human beings can only see a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, from about 400 nm to 700 nm, but it’s enough to allow us to see millions of colors!
175 Interesting Things - Lobster Blood Is Blue
Lobsters have blue blood. Due to the presence of copper in the Hymocyanins, they give the color of the lobster blood bluish color. Invertebrates, like snails and spiders, also have blue blood due to hemocyanin. Did you know lobster blood is critical in emerging medical research?