A Short Story Podcast Series

Link to Podcast Library or Scroll for Daily Feed

    • 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.

History, Sports, Podcast JC History, Sports, Podcast JC

552: “The New York Renaissance”

Interesting Things with JC #552: “The New York Renaissance” (Rens) were founded in Harlem February 13th, 1923. They were the first all-black, fully professional basketball team owned by an African-American. The team was originally known as the Spartan Braves before changing its name to the New York Renaissance and playing their home games at William Roach's Renaissance Ballroom. They would go on to dominate basketball, winning several championships along the way, including the World Championship of Professional Basketball in 1939.

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

545: "Schumann - Symphony No. 3 - Rheinisch"

Interesting Things with JC #545: "Schumann: Symphony No. 3 - Rheinisch" premiered Feb 1851 in Düsseldorf, a significant & beloved work in classical music.

Robert Schumann was a composer and conductor of the Romantic era. His "Rhenish" Symphony, also known as Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, was a masterpiece that demonstrated how he experimented with orchestration and musical language. Schumann's "Rhenish" Symphony was premiered in Düsseldorf in February 1851.

This was a big deal in the music world at the time, and it cemented Schumann's reputation as one of the best composers of his generation. While traveling through Germany's Rhineland, Schumann had inspiration for the symphony. It wasn't your typical classical symphony, and it included local folk music.

The "Rheinisch” (or “Rhenish") Symphony is still an important and well-loved piece of classical music because it expresses emotion, employs inventive musical language, and employs novel ways of arranging music.

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

540: "The Shard"

Interesting Things with JC #540: "The Shard" - a 310m tower in London, opened on Feb 1, 2013 with 72 floors. Designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, The Shard is a mixed-use structure that includes offices, residential apartments, a hotel, restaurants, and a three-story observation deck. This true work of art was inspired by the spires of London's historic churches and the masts of tall ships as painted by Canaletto in the 18th century.

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