TV Smarts

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

* Today--”Love in the Old South” (A&E; 9-10 p.m.) looks at the historical basis for some great love stories of Southern literature. For example, Theodore Roosevelt’s high-spirited mother was Margaret Mitchell’s model for Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind,” and there was a real Evangeline behind Longfellow’s poem set in Louisiana.

* Friday--”Chinatown: A Secret World” (HIST 9-11 p.m.) looks at one of America’s most successful immigrant groups and the settlements called Chinatowns. Note: Beginning Sunday, the exhibition “On Gold Mountain,” about the Chinese American experience from the 1790s to now, begins at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, https://www.autry-museum.org.

* Saturday--”Una Vida Mejor: A Better Life” (KLCS 10-11 p.m.) looks at the migration of Latinos to middle America in search of jobs.

* Sunday--”CNNdotCOM” (CNN 11:30 a.m.-noon) reports on how Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” keeps the hippie culture alive via the Internet. Also, the book discussion program “Between the Lines” (KLCS 9-9:30 p.m.) features Walter Mosley’s recent novel set in Los Angeles, “Walkin’ the Dog.”

* Monday--”Bravo Profiles: Michael Flatley” (Bravo 7-8 p.m.) is a documentary on the self-proclaimed “Lord of the Dance.” Also, in “The Great American History Quiz” (HIST 8-9 p.m.), celebrities are tested on their knowledge of heroes and villains in American history. Participants include Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Diane Sawyer and Jerry Orbach. Hosted by Chevy Chase.

* Tuesday--”Secrets of the SAT” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) explains the SAT, which is used by most colleges to help determine student admission.

* Wednesday--”Zeppelin” (AMC 9-11 p.m.) is a movie about the giant World War I-era German airships held aloft by lighter-than-air gas and used to bomb England. Michael York stars.

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Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, dean of the School of Education, College of St. Mary, Albany, N.Y. Columns available at http://my.nohib.com/tvsmarts.