TV SMARTS

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

* Today. “In Search of Law and Order: Reclaiming America’s Kids” (KLCS, 8-11 p.m.) This program features three films by Roger Graef, an American scholar of juvenile justice with an Academy Award-winning career in the British documentary film industry. Entitled “The Limits of Justice,” “Young, Armed and Dangerous” and “Catching Them Early,” they describe efforts in Boston, Fort Worth and Richmond, Calif., to divert youths from lives of crime. Also, “Miss India Georgia” (KCET, 10-11 p.m.). This documentary, airing nationally during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, follows four young women as they balance assimilation and preservation of ethnic identity during their participation in the “Miss India” competition, which the immigrant community in Atlanta holds annually.

* Friday. “An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe” (Sci-Fi, 4-6 p.m., repeating 8-10 p.m.) In this cable special featuring four of Poe’s short stories, Vincent Price narrates “The Telltale Heart,” “The Sphinx,” “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Also, “Janis” (Bravo, 7-9 p.m.). This is a documentary on the life of Janis Joplin and the era in which she lived, emphasizing her music rather than her self-destruction.

* Saturday. “The IRA: 30 Years of Terror” (A&E;, 1-2 p.m.) This documentary, narrated by Mike Wallace, can provide background information for class discussion of the recent peace accord vote in Ireland. Also, “Queen Christina” (TCM, 2-4 p.m.) This movie is a stylized historical biography of the 17th-century Swedish queen who dressed as a boy but relinquished her throne when she fell in love with Spain’s ambassador to her court. Useful as an introduction to Renaissance history, it is a high point of film history. Greta Garbo and John Gilbert star. Available on video.

* Sunday. “Amelia Earhart” (KNBC, 9-9:30 a.m.) This Emmy-winning documentary, shot on location in the South Pacific, traces the career and mysterious disappearance of the famous North Hollywood aviator. Chuck Henry hosts. Also, “Thanks of a Grateful Nation” (Showtime, 8-11 p.m.). This movie is based on incidents surrounding the U.S. government’s denial that American troops were exposed to chemical-warfare agents, the suspected cause of “Gulf War Syndrome,” while on duty in the Middle East. Emmy winner John Sacret Young wrote and produced it. Ted Danson, Brian Dennehy, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marg Helgenberger star. Rated TV14.

Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. gips, associate dean, College of Education, Cal State Northridge.