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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.

JC 10/31/24 JC 10/31/24

1087: "The Lady in Red: The Haunting of Chicago’s Drake Hotel"

Interesting Things with JC #1087: "The Lady in Red: The Haunting of Chicago’s Drake Hotel" - On New Year’s Eve, 1920, heartbreak turned deadly at Chicago’s Drake Hotel, leaving behind the ghostly legend of The Lady in Red.

JC 12/20/23 JC 12/20/23

867: "The White Bluff Screamer"

Interesting Things with JC #867: "The White Bluff Screamer" unravels the haunting post-WWI mystery in Montgomery Bell State Park, in Eastern Tennessee, where a settler confronts a creature emitting eerie screams. As the legend unfolds, tragedy strikes, leading to a desperate search and encounters with ghostly figures or massive beasts.

JC 6/14/23 JC 6/14/23

678: "Pistyll Rhaeadr"

Interesting Things with JC #678: "Pistyll Rhaeadr" - Discover the enchanting Pistyll Rhaeadr, Wales' tallest waterfall, where nature's beauty meets legend. Immerse yourself in its history, feel the awe-inspiring power, and embrace the mystical!

JC 4/1/23 JC 4/1/23

604: "Selkies"

Interesting Things with JC #604: "Selkies" - Selkies are creatures that are half-fish and half-human. They are mentioned in Celtic and Scottish mythology. It's believed they shed their skin and become humans when they land. They seem to always be looking for people who are missing something. Selkie legend lives on in remote coastal areas and on islands.

JC 3/11/23 JC 3/11/23

579: "Johnny Appleseed Day"

Interesting Things with JC #579: "Johnny Appleseed Day" - Johnny Appleseed was an American pioneer of tree farming who planted apple trees in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, parts of what is now Ontario Canada, and the northern counties of West Virginia. Let's learn more about this legendary apple farmer!

JC 1/8/23 JC 1/8/23

516: "Hippos Sweat Red"

Interesting Things with JC #516: "Hippos Sweat Red" - they secrete a reddish fluid, mistakenly believed to be sweat or blood, that has antibiotic and sunscreen properties. Some biologists say it could be a great lip balm for people. Thank you to Haley at Applebees in Cheektowaga, New York, for suggesting the topic for today.

JC 10/30/22 JC 10/30/22

444: "Werewolves"

Interesting Things with JC #444: “Werewolves”-According to legend, "werewolves" are people who shape-shift into vicious, ravenous monsters in a powerful wolf-like form.

JC 10/25/22 JC 10/25/22

439: "The Headless Horseman"

Interesting Things with JC #439: "The Headless Horseman" - The story of the Headless Horseman starts in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and is based on some real events.

JC 10/24/22 JC 10/24/22

438: "Samhain & Halloween"

Interesting Things with JC #438: "Samhuinn & Hallows' Eve" - You can find the roots of Halloween in the Celtic Samhain festival in Ireland.

JC 10/18/22 JC 10/18/22

432: "Jack Johnson"

Interesting Things with JC #432: "Jack Johnson" is one of the most significant heavyweight champions of all time.

JC 10/13/22 JC 10/13/22

427: "Roy Hamilton"

Interesting Things with JC #427: "Roy Hamilton" infused the Great American Songbook with soul by fusing semi-classical technique with passionate traditional black gospel. Many singers covered his 1955 hit "Unchained Melody."

JC 9/20/22 JC 9/20/22

404: "Glastenbury Mountain and the Bennington Triangle"

Interesting Things with JC #404 "Glastenbury Mountain and the Bennington Triangle" - People have gone missing in this thick forest, surrounded by well-known ghost towns. Could the legendary Bigfoot of Vermont be to blame?

JC 7/27/22 JC 7/27/22

347: "The Tower of London's Famous Ravens"

Interesting Things with JC #347: "The Tower of London's Famous Ravens" - The kingdom of England and the Tower of London are said to be doomed if the six ravens who live there ever leave. The Tower is currently inhabited by nine ravens.

JC 7/22/22 JC 7/22/22

342: "Phantom Towns"

Interesting Things with JC #342: "Phantom Towns" are places that exist solely on paper maps but have no physical presence in the real world. All of them are either blunders or deliberate attempts to break the law.

JC 7/13/22 JC 7/13/22

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.

JC 4/20/22 JC 4/20/22

248: "The Space Coast"

Interesting Things with JC #248: "The Space Coast" is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. One reason rockets are launched in Florida has to do with the Earth's rotation. From rockets to surfing, salt to searching for the fountain of youth, the SpaceCoast of Florida is a treasure to behold. Click to Listen!

JC 12/23/21 JC 12/23/21

127 Interesting Things - Pandas

An adult Giant Panda can grow as tall as five feet and they can weigh as much as 350 pounds. They can also consume 45 pounds of bamboo shoots in one day. Let's talk Pandas and discover more interesting things!