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
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
861: "Live in Peace"
Interesting Things with JC #861: "Live in Peace" invites you to nurture a garden of understanding and compassion, cultivating harmony in life. Embrace the everyday choices that shape your melody, and explore the enriching journey to unity.
388: "St Dunstan in the East"
Interesting Things with JC #388: "St Dunstan in the East" - Tourists aren't that familiar with the 1000-year-old ruin, which is just a short distance from the Tower of London.
345: "Regrow from Scraps"
Interesting Things with JC #345: "Regrow from Scraps" - Many common vegetables that you grow can re-grow from scraps, which may surprise you. This can be a great money saver, both for starting a new vegetable plot and for continuing your existing food growing efforts.
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.
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.
213 - Interesting Things: 4 Leaf Clovers
The four leaf clover is one of the most common good luck symbols of the Western world. An independent study carried out by Swiss researchers looked at 5.7 million clovers and found that the likelihood of finding one four-leaf clover was one in 5,076.