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A Short Story Podcast Series

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Interesting Things with JC is free to use for teaching and learning under fair use. Educators, homeschooling parents, librarians, and lifelong learners have broad rights to use the episodes and curriculum in any instructional setting. One exception applies to Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors”, which is not covered under this open educational permission.
Full curriculum support begins at Episode #1235: “Three Turns to Freedom”. Any earlier episode without curriculum can be prioritized by request. Educators may contact JimConnors LLC directly, and a matching curriculum module will be created and added to the site.
Teachers and homeschooling families are welcome to use, play, share, print, and adapt all eligible episodes and curriculum materials for lesson planning, instruction, student assignments, LMS uploads, and any other direct educational activity. No special approval is required for everyday classroom use. Crediting the show is appreciated when possible.
This permission does not extend to commercial activity. The episodes and curriculum may not be repackaged, resold, redistributed as a standalone program, or presented as original work by any third party. Any commercial or branded use requires prior written consent from JimConnors LLC. Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors” follows its own restrictions and is excluded from open educational use.
Educators may freely use the content in classrooms, homeschools, co-ops, tutoring programs, library settings, and adult education. They may revise or adapt curriculum pages, print transcripts, share episode links, or integrate materials into their lessons as needed. What is not allowed is turning the work into a paid course, selling derivatives, posting content under another brand, or redistributing the series as a separate product.
Summary:
Free for education.
Not for resale.
Not for commercial repackaging.
Episode #1235: “Three Turns to Freedom” and onward includes full curriculum.
Older episodes can receive curriculum by request.
Episode #509: “Harry Chapin and Jim Connors” is excluded.
All rights reserved © JimConnors LLC.
Interesting Things with JC is available on the Podcast Radio format in the United Kingdom and the United States. Listeners can tune in on the radio in select cities or stream the station online from anywhere.
United Kingdom – Podcast Radio (UK)
Podcast Radio is a 24-hour all-podcast station based in London. It broadcasts on DAB+ digital radio across London and several other supported UK regions, with full worldwide access through its online stream.
Interesting Things with JC is included in Podcast Radio’s curated programming lineup.
Listeners in the United Kingdom can hear the station on DAB+ receivers in covered areas, through the Podcast Radio website, or through the station’s online and mobile streaming platforms.
United States – Podcast Radio US
In the United States, Interesting Things with JC airs as part of Podcast Radio US across four regional markets. The format is carried on HD Radio channels and FM translators.
Detroit, Michigan: WCSX 94.7 HD2 and 93.5 FM
Tampa Bay, Florida: 1010 WJBR AM
Charlotte, North Carolina: 94.7 FM and WSOC HD3
Fort Myers and Naples, Florida: WXKB HD2, 96.5 FM, 101.5 FM, and 105.1 FM
Nationwide listening is available through the station’s website at PodcastRadioUS.com.
Streaming Access
Podcast Radio UK and Podcast Radio US both offer live streaming through their official websites and mobile platforms, allowing listeners worldwide to hear Interesting Things with JC as part of the network’s curated programming.
The show is also available across major podcast and audio platforms, including Podcast Radio, Podverse, Headliner, Amazon, Apple, Audacy, Audible, Castbox, Deezer, fyyd, GoodPods, iHeartRadio, JioSaavn, Listen Notes, Pandora, PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Republic, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.
In addition to audio platforms, listeners can follow and stream content on social media through Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube.
Start class with a short, clear story your students can follow from the first sentence. Play an episode of Interesting Things with JC and use the free curriculum to guide a full lesson with questions, activities, and applied learning.
Every episode from #1235 forward includes a modular micro lesson designed for a 30 to 45 minute class period. At the bottom of each episode page, you will find expandable sections that organize all curriculum materials for teachers, parents, and homeschool families.
Each lesson includes:
- Lesson overview with title, grade band, subject area, and learning objectives
- Key vocabulary with phonetic spelling and plain language definitions
- Core story content created through the Precise Storytelling Framework
- Full podcast transcript
- Student worksheet with comprehension and writing activities
- Teacher guide with pacing notes, strategies, and discussion tools
- Quiz or quick check assessment with a scoring rubric
- Standards alignment across multiple national and international frameworks
- ADA compliant alt text for all instructional media
- Links to approved primary sources used for fact checking
- Guidance for homeschool adaptation and flexible scheduling
All curriculum materials are created through the Narrative Intelligence System to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and age-appropriate delivery. Lessons stay free of ideological frameworks and focus on academic content only.
Standards Alignment
Interesting Things with JC aligns each micro lesson with the following approved educational standards:
United States National Standards
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts and Mathematics
- College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3 Framework)
- International Society for Technology in Education Standards (ISTE Standards)
- National Core Arts Standards (NCAS)
- Career and Technical Education Career Clusters (CTE Career Clusters)
- Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy (ACRL Framework)
- Bloom’s Taxonomy for Cognitive Learning Objectives
- Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (UDL Guidelines)
Additional United States Alignment Areas
- Alignment to state and provincial academic standards when content applies
- Media and Information Literacy standards
- Social Emotional Learning and 21st Century Skills frameworks
- Financial Literacy and Employability Skills standards
- English as a Second Language and World Language vocabulary support when applicable
International Academic Equivalents (Content-Based Alignment Only)
- United Kingdom National Curriculum, Key Stages 3 to 5
- AQA, OCR, and Edexcel Examination Board Specifications
- International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme (IB PYP, MYP, DP)
- Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education and Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level (Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level)
Access, Use, and OER Licensing
All lessons are published as Open Educational Resources and may be used, printed, or shared for teaching and learning in classrooms, homeschools, and tutoring environments. Materials are provided for educational use under fair use and may not be resold or distributed commercially.
Episodes from #1235 forward include complete curriculum materials. If you find an older episode without a micro lesson, reach out and it will be moved to the front of the build queue. Starting with Episode #1307, each MP3 page in the RSS feed includes open text at the bottom of the page for quick access to transcripts and curriculum notes.
Teacher and homeschool feedback is always welcome to help improve clarity and layout.

JC 4/27/25 JC 4/27/25

1266: "The Secret Life of a Single Note"

Interesting Things with JC #1266: "The Secret Life of a Single Note" – A single note is never just one sound. Dive into the hidden harmonies that shape how we hear, feel, and understand music itself.

JC 4/26/25 JC 4/26/25

1265: "Tavistock, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd: Unraveling the Conspiracy Theory"

Interesting Things with JC #1265: "Tavistock, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd: Unraveling the Conspiracy Theory" – Were the biggest bands of the 60s the voice of a generation...or the tools of hidden hands? Journey into a world where truth and theory collide.

JC 4/25/25 JC 4/25/25

1264: "Pick 33 – The First of the Forgotten"

Interesting Things with JC #1264: "Pick 33 – The First of the Forgotten" – One slot after the spotlight fades, a different kind of greatness begins. It's where overlooked talent becomes legacy, and where silence fuels the fire.

JC 4/24/25 JC 4/24/25

1263: "The Malibu Secret"

Interesting Things with JC #1263: "The Malibu Secret" – Born from rivalry, built for reinvention. Chevy’s Malibu began as a decoy, survived as a strategy, and now exits with no fanfare. Some names don’t fade they vanish

JC 4/23/25 JC 4/23/25

1262: "How Does a Septic Tank Work?"

Interesting Things with JC #1262: "How Does a Septic Tank Work?" – Beneath lawns and forgotten fences lies a quiet system that doesn’t just collect waste, it partners with nature to finish what we flush away. What happens next may surprise you.

JC 4/22/25 JC 4/22/25

1261: "Grapes of Spring"

Interesting Things with JC #1261: "Grapes of Spring" – In Silver Creek, spring smells like diesel and compost. Before the harvest joy comes the risk: frost, mud, and a thousand swelling buds...each one carrying a season’s hope.

JC 4/21/25 JC 4/21/25

1260: "Replacing the Pope"

Interesting Things with JC #1260: "Replacing the Pope" – When a pope dies, silence descends, and a centuries-old ritual begins. From shattered rings to sealed rooms, the Church pauses while the world waits for white smoke.

JC 4/21/25 JC 4/21/25

1259: "Farming in April"

Interesting Things with JC #1259: "Farming in April" – A moment too soon and it’s disaster. A moment too late and the field’s already lost. In America’s Breadbasket, April doesn’t wait...it dares you to act.

JC 4/20/25 JC 4/20/25

1258: "The History of Peeps!"

Interesting Things with JC #1258: "The History of Peeps!" – They’re soft, sweet, and seemingly simple, but beneath the sugar lies a story of postwar innovation, seasonal tradition, and quiet cultural dominance.

JC 4/19/25 JC 4/19/25

1257: "Easter Lily"

Interesting Things with JC #1257: "Easter Lily" – It didn’t begin in scripture. It began on a volcanic island, thousands of miles from any altar. A flower of timing, trade, and quiet trust…just when it's needed most.

JC 4/18/25 JC 4/18/25

1256: "The Smell of Fresh Bread Out of the Oven"

Interesting Things with JC #1256: "The Smell of Fresh Bread Out of the Oven" – Before alarms and sunrise, there was the scent. For centuries, fresh bread meant more than food, it meant life was still going. Why does this smell still matter?

JC 4/17/25 JC 4/17/25

1255: "Fire from Ice"

Interesting Things with JC #1255: "Fire from Ice" – You’re stranded in the cold, with nothing but a chunk of ice, and somehow, that’s enough to survive. Refraction, focus, and fire from frozen water.

JC 4/16/25 JC 4/16/25

1254: "The Cost Beneath Our Feet"

Interesting Things with JC #1254: "The Cost Beneath Our Feet" – What happens when history is inconvenient? Across highways, housing tracts, and football fields, the dead have been displaced and dignity buried with them.

JC 4/15/25 JC 4/15/25

1253: "What is a Burl?"

Interesting Things with JC #1253: "What is a Burl?" – They look like tumors on trees, but inside, something astonishing is happening. Burls are born from trauma, yet transform into natural masterpieces.

JC 4/14/25 JC 4/14/25

1252: "April 14th, 1939, The Book That Brought America to Its Knees"

Interesting Things with JC #1252: "April 14th, 1939, The Book That Brought America to Its Knees" – One novel. Five months. And a country that never saw it coming. On April 14th, 1939, John Steinbeck lit a match that scorched American silence.

JC 4/13/25 JC 4/13/25

1251: "The Gene That Won’t Let Go"

Interesting Things with JC #1251: "The Gene That Won’t Let Go" – What happens when nature stops choosing and we start writing the rules? A gene that refuses to vanish may reshape every wild thing we know.

JC 4/12/25 JC 4/12/25

1250: "Great Loop Boating"

Interesting Things with JC #1250: "Great Loop Boating" – It’s not a race, it’s a rhythm. Across 7,500 miles of rivers, canals, and coastlines, the Great Loop offers a journey where tide, patience, and memory steer the way.

JC 4/11/25 JC 4/11/25

1249: "What is a Carpenters Board Stretcher?"

Interesting Things with JC #1249: "What is a Carpenters Board Stretcher?" – Carpentry doesn’t forgive shortcuts, and neither does experience.

JC 4/10/25 JC 4/10/25

1248: "Mahuffer – Wurst Place on the Beech!"

Interesting Things with JC #1248: "Mahuffer – Wurst Place on the Beech!" – It started as a joke and became a legend. A bar where nothing is finished, everything is broken, and somehow…it’s perfect. This is Mahuffer, and it’s still standing.

JC 4/9/25 JC 4/9/25

1247: "The Mathematics Behind Music Theory"

Interesting Things with JC #1247: "The Mathematics Behind Music Theory" – Before notes had names or music had rules, harmony was already written in numbers. Explore how math shaped every sound you’ve ever heard, and why it still does.