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, check out any episode from #1235 to today, just 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 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

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.