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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.

    • 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.

  • 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 List

    • NGSS – 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.

    • 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.

Podcast, Science JC Podcast, Science JC

904: "Understanding the Electrostatic Field"

Interesting Things with JC #904: "Understanding the Electrostatic Field" - Explore the captivating dynamics of electrostatic fields, from the intricate dance of particles within atoms to their practical applications in everyday life. Discover how charges attract and repel, shaping phenomena like static electricity and magnetic fields, and unlocking innovations in technology and science.

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Podcast, Social, Science JC Podcast, Social, Science JC

789: "You don't know what you don't know"

Interesting Things with JC #789: "You don't know what you don't know" explores the concept of awareness and ignorance, highlighting the importance of curiosity and continuous learning. This episode delves into the idea that there are endless possibilities waiting to be discovered beyond our current understanding, emphasizing the role of open-mindedness in personal growth and decision-making.

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Podcast, Science JC Podcast, Science JC

597: "Intelligent Goldfish"

Interesting Things with JC #597: "Intelligent Goldfish" -  Don't underestimate the intelligence of the humble goldfish! They can learn and retain survival skills for up to 3 months, and even tell time. Their memory span may be longer than you think!

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Podcast, History, Social JC Podcast, History, Social JC

182 - Interesting Things: Library of Congress

The Library of Congress in Washington DC is essentially both the national library of the U.S. and the country's oldest federal cultural institution. Though it consists of only three buildings, it is the largest library in the world with more than 170 million items.

The Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division holds 600,000 volumes in the non-Roman script languages of the region. The oldest written material in the Library is a cuneiform tablet dating from 2040 B.C.

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