A Short Story Podcast Series
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Link to Podcast Library or Scroll for Daily Feed
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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.
513: "World's Largest Human Hairball"
Interesting Things with JC #513: "World's Largest Human Hairball" named Hoss breaks world record weighing in at 102.12 kg/225.13 lbs & is recognized by Ripley's and Guinness.
502: "Largest Recorded Snowflake"
Interesting Things with JC #502: "Largest Recorded Snowflake" fell in Montana in 1887 and was reportedly 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. (38x20cm)!!!
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."
387: "The Longest Field Goal"
Interesting Things with JC #387: "The Longest Field Goal" - In a 1976 matchup between Abilene Christian University and East Texas State University, which is now Texas A&M, Swedish college kicker Ove Johansson established the record for the longest field goal in football history at 69 yards.
273: "Bald Eagles Nest"
Interesting Things with JC #273: "Bald Eagles Nest" can be spotted from a distance due to its large size. When it comes to nest size, the Bald Eagle holds the world’s record as the largest tree nest ever recorded, not only for a bird but also for any animal.
The largest Bald Eagle nest on record was in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was 10 feet in diameter and 20 feet tall!
207 - Interesting Things: Restaurant Chiggeri
If you visit the Restaurant Chiggeri in the city of Luxembourg, you can take your pick from more than 2,200 different wines. A professional connoisseur is on-site to guide you with what food is best paired with each wine. The majority of the wines on the menu having been there for more than six months. The wine menu is said to resemble a telephone book!
202 - Interesting Things: George Nissen and The Trampoline
March 6, 1945, George Nissen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a patent for the first modern trampoline. He sold so many trampolines to the military, to help pilots experience weightlessness, that he had to postpone his enlistment in World War II to fulfill the orders. Interestingly, trampoline only became an Olympic sport during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
199 - Interesting Things: USS Nautilus
On March 3rd 1980, the first nuclear submarine and the first vessel to go to the North Pole, the USS Nautilus was decommissioned. The Submarine was the sixth vessel of the US Navy to bear the name. The Nautilus was in active naval service from 1954 to 1980 and was the 571st submarine in the fleet.
188 - Interesting Things: DAYTONA Beach Racing
Daytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set. Daytona Beach's wide beach and smoothly packed sands at low tide were opened to drivers for many years.
174 Interesting Things - Michelle Lesko - Fastest Time to Eat a Bowl of Pasta
The bowl had to contain 100 grams of pasta (uncooked weight) and at least 50 grams of sauce.
Every noodle entering the mouth had to be delivered via fork. You could use fingers to push noodles onto the fork, but could not lift or otherwise manipulate the bowl to facilitate noodle consumption.
26.69 seconds later, setting a Guinness World Record, Michelle Lesco easily surpassed the old mark of 41 seconds set four years ago by Canadian Pete Czerwinski for pasta eating.