TV Smarts

Some broadcast and cable programs contain material included in the public school curriculum and on standardized examinations. Here are viewing tips:

* Today--”Art of the Western World: In Our Own Time” (KLCS 2:30-3:30 p.m.) Final installment of art history series looks at American accomplishments, including environmental art, feminist art and works by Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Also, “20th Century With Mike Wallace” (HIST 4-5 p.m.) Documentary explains the 1953 discovery of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick.

* Friday--”Madeline” (SHOW 9-9:30 p.m., repeats Tue., 7:15-8:45 p.m.) Live-action movie version of Ludwig Bemelmans’ book about a girl at a French boarding school. Stars Hatty Jones and Frances McDormand. Book is available in Spanish, and an anthology is available, “Mad About Madeline: The Complete Stories.”

* Saturday--”The Pit and the Pendulum” (AMC 5:50-7 p.m.) Movie based on Edgar Allen Poe’s 1843 mystery set during the Spanish Inquisition. Vincent Price stars. Available on video. Recommended reading: “The Pit and the Pendulum & Other Stories,” a Viking young adult paperback.

* Sunday--”The Chinese Americans” (KCET 5-5:30 p.m.) A look at the achievements in the arts, science, medicine and education of a minority group that represents just 1% of the U.S. population. Architect I.M. Pei, AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho, broadcaster Connie Chung, dramatist David Henry Hwang, chef Martin Yang and former California State Treasurer Matthew Fong are interviewed.

* Monday--”The History of Sex” (HIST 7-8 p.m., repeats 11 p.m.-midnight) Parental discretion advised; rated TV-14. Medical and art historians discuss sex and its impact on historical events. Some pictorial material used in the series is drawn from art museums and the fashion industry. If elementary school-age children view the program, they should do so in the company of a parent. This segment, the first of five, looks at the ancient world. The next week’s episode will focus on China, Japan, India and the Arab world. Subsequent programs will look at the medieval period, the Victorian era and the 20th century.

* Tuesday--”Ivanhoe” (TMC 5-7 p.m.) Movie version of Sir Walter Scott’s classic novel about life in England during the Middle Ages sticks close to the original story. Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Taylor star. Available on video.

* Wednesday--”Tracking the First Americans” (TLC 10-11 p.m.) Documentary on recent discoveries in South America of human remains that are neither Indian nor European in origin but date to the most recent Ice Age, suggesting the earliest human inhabitants of the continent arrived by sea from either Africa or Australia.

Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, dean of the school of education at the College of St. Mary, Albany, N.Y. Columns available at www.latimes.com/tvsmarts.