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, visit episode #1235 and #1237 and scroll down
- 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 9/12/22 JC 9/12/22

396: "Subglacial Fossils in Greenland"

Interesting Things with JC #396: "Subglacial Fossils in Greenland"—Researchers discovered well-preserved fossil plants and biomolecules at the bottom of a 1.4 km core sample from Greenland.

JC 9/10/22 JC 9/10/22

394: “Accession Council”

Interesting Things with JC #394: “Accession Council” is an incredibly important meeting. The monarch is the head of state, the head of the judiciary, the head of the church, and the head of the commonwealth. This gives them enormous power, elevating the significance of their meeting actions.

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

393: "Succession Modernization"

Interesting Things with JC #393: "Succession Modernization" - As England transitioned to a democratic form of government, specifically a constitutional monarchy, its leaders made the decision to formalize power succession. Let’s review the history of Royal succession, the 1689 Bill of Rights, the 1701 Act of Settlement, and the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013.

JC 9/8/22 JC 9/8/22

392: "Mary Toft and her Baby Rabbits"

Interesting Things with JC #392: "Mary Toft and her Baby Rabbits" - in 1726, a 25-year-old Englishwoman from Godalming, Surrey, gave birth to something that shocked all of England...again...and again.

This historical account may disturb some listeners.

JC 9/7/22 JC 9/7/22

391: "Pro Football Hall of Fame"

Interesting Things with JC #391: "The Pro Football Hall of Fame," which honors the people and events that shaped the history of professional football, was established on September 7, 1963, in Canton, Ohio.

JC 9/6/22 JC 9/6/22

390: "Antarctic Midge"

Interesting Things with JC #390: There are one million insect species on Earth, but only three are found in Antarctica, this is the short story of the "Antarctic Midge".

JC 9/5/22 JC 9/5/22

389: "Queen Mary's Dolls' House"

Interesting Things with JC #389: "Queen Mary's Dolls' House" is the world's most exquisite and well-known dolls' house.

JC 9/4/22 JC 9/4/22

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.

JC 9/3/22 JC 9/3/22

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.

JC 9/2/22 JC 9/2/22

386: "September"

Interesting Things with JC #386: "September"- This month has connections that range from changing calendars, the Roman god of fire, and a fictional character's otherworldly home!?

JC 9/1/22 JC 9/1/22

385: "Medieval Siege Ladders"

Interesting Things with JC #385: "Medieval Siege Ladders" - We've all seen them in movies and on TV. The castle is being invaded, and the attacking force is climbing a ladder to get in. Why not just push the ladder over? Let's figure this out!! A special thank you to Jenna Perry for inspiring today's topic!

JC 8/30/22 JC 8/30/22

383: " Second Battle of Manassas"

Interesting Things with JC #383: "Second Battle of Manassas"— On August 30, 1862, the battle, also known as Bull Run, brought an extensive campaign in northern Virginia to an end.

JC 8/29/22 JC 8/29/22

382: "Bell's Palsy"

Interesting Things with JC #382: "Bell's Palsy" - Regardless of age, anyone can develop Bell's palsy. It's known for unexplained episodes of facial muscular paralysis or weakening. A Persian doctor who lived in the ninth century provided the first thorough description.

JC 8/27/22 JC 8/27/22

380: "NC Beach Sunsets"

Interesting Things with JC #380: "NC Beach Sunsets"- if you visit North Carolina beaches at the right time of year, you can see both sunrise and sunset from the same location.

JC 8/24/22 JC 8/24/22

377: "Black Diamond Apples"

Interesting Things with JC #377: "Black Diamond Apples" are a type of apple grown in Tibet that is distinguished by its deep violet color.

JC 8/21/22 JC 8/21/22

374: "Mona Lisa Stolen"

Interesting Things with JC #374: "Mona Lisa Stolen" - The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre on August 21st, 1911 and was missing for years! Even though she was returned, is it the original?

JC 8/20/22 JC 8/20/22

373: "Watkins Glen"

Interesting Things with JC #373: "Watkins Glen" - Located at the southern extremity of Seneca Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region, has much more to offer than its nearly 75-year racing heritage.

JC 8/19/22 JC 8/19/22

372: "White Sands Oryx"

Interesting Things with JC #372: "White Sands Oryx" - Wild oryx were transported from Africa's Kalahari Desert to an experimental range near Red Rock, New Mexico.

JC 8/17/22 JC 8/17/22

370: "Indonesia Independence Day"

Interesting Things with JC #370: "Indonesia Independence Day" is a national holiday that commemorates the proclamation of Indonesia's independence on August 17, 1945. The government declared it a national holiday in 1946.

JC 8/16/22 JC 8/16/22

368: "Elvis Presley"

Interesting Things with JC #368: "Elvis Presley" was 42 years old when he passed on August 16th 1977.