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.

Podcast, Science, Social JC Podcast, Science, Social JC

599: "Our 9 Senses"

Interesting Things with JC #599: "Our 9 Senses" - Did you know there are 9 senses instead of 5? In addition to sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, there's proprioception, thermoception, equilibrioception, and interoception. Our senses make the world vibrant and dynamic.

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Podcast, Science JC Podcast, Science JC

597: "Intelligent Goldfish"

Interesting Things with JC #597: "Intelligent Goldfish" -  Don't underestimate the intelligence of the humble goldfish! They can learn and retain survival skills for up to 3 months, and even tell time. Their memory span may be longer than you think!

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

590: "Lev Landau"

Interesting Things with JC #590: "Lev Landau" - He was born in Azerbaijan in 1908. Despite facing adversity due to tuberculosis as a child and a car accident later in life that left him permanently injured, Landau made groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics and quantum mechanics. He received numerous honors for his innovative solutions to complex scientific questions, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1962. Landau's work in areas such as superconductivity, quantum mechanics, and liquid theory had a lasting impact on our understanding of matter and energy at the most fundamental level

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Podcast, History, Science JC Podcast, History, Science JC

581: "Uranus - aka: Georgium Sidus"

Interesting Things with JC #581: "Uranus - aka: Georgium Sidus" - Discover the fascinating story of Uranus - from its discovery by William Herschel and naming it "Georgium sidus", to the Voyager 2 mission revealing its secrets. Learn how its unusual atmosphere and tilted magnetic field make it one of the most unique planets in our solar system!

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