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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 JC

1000: "Happiness"

In "Happiness," we discuss how daily practices like friendships, self-care, and journaling lead to personal fulfillment and align with core values for increased satisfaction and resilience.

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

112: “The Elusive 10mm Socket”

Interesting Things with JC #112: “The Elusive 10mm Socket” - It has evaded mechanics, automotive enthusiasts, and pretty much every single human on the globe. Mystique surrounding the 10 mm socket puts it on par with the Bermuda triangle, UFOs, and Bigfoot. Let's learn a little bit more about the 10mm socket, sockets in general, and why this one particular tool disappears constantly across the globe.

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

109: “RC Cola and a Moon Pie”

Interesting Things with JC #109: “RC Cola and a Moon Pie” - A Match Made in Heaven. RC Cola and Moon Pies are often mentioned in the same breath, akin to peanut butter and jelly. But how did this pairing come to be viewed as such a perfect match? Discover the fascinating histories of both the Moon Pie and RC Cola & explore how these two iconic treats became an irresistible combination.

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

102: “Moby Dick was Real”

Interesting Things with JC #102: “Moby Dick was Real” - Mocha Dick was a male sperm whale that lived in the Pacific Ocean in the early 19th century, usually encountered in the waters near Mocha Island, off the central coast of Chile. He was hunted for 20 years and destroyed more ships than any whale hunted before. The legend of Moby Dick aka Mocha Dick, was real.

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Podcast, History JC Podcast, History JC

101: “Andrew Jackson Killed Charles Dickinson”

One of most famous and fascinating duels in US history involved Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson. Dickinson insulted Jackson’s wife after a long tenured trade of insults in the newspapers.

Dickinson was regarded as one of the best shots in America and Jackson was a fearless soldier. The future President took a bullet to the chest, survived re-cocked his pistol and killed Dickinson.

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