TV Smarts

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

* Today--”48 Hours--Class of 2000: Driven to Extremes” (KCBS 10-11 p.m.) This CBS News documentary attempts to provide context and perspective on recent school shootings by examining what makes some teens turn violent.

* Friday--”My Friend Flicka” (AMC 7:30-9 p.m.) Movie version of Mary O’Hara’s classic young-adult novel about a boy raising an unruly colt and mending his relationship with his father. Roddy McDowall stars. Available on video.

* Saturday--”Alexander the Great” (TCM 9:30-11:30 a.m.) Movie about the 4th century Macedonian prince, a student of Aristotle, for whom the Alexandrian Age was named. After conquering neighboring Greece, he imposed its culture on Egypt and Persia and died at 33 in Babylon while attempting to invade Arabia. Richard Burton stars. Available on video.

* Sunday--”Smokescreen” (KCET 1-1:30 p.m.) Documentary looks at women smoking in films and television and the impact these images have had on society. Jane Seymour, Teri Garr and Tamlyn Tomita host. “Body Bugs: Up Close and Personal” (TLC 4-5 p.m.) Documentary uses special photographic technology to study microscopic creatures that inhabit our food, floors and bodies.

* Monday--”Boomtime” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) This episode in the PBS “People’s Century” series describes how American lifestyles changed after World War II with the onset of the “baby boom” generation. For supporting documentation, check https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/peoplescentury/.

* Tuesday--”Roller Coaster” (KCET 8-9 p.m.) Documentary explains some physics principles involved in the design of high-speed rides for amusement parks, which are often cited in 11th-grade physics textbooks.

* Wednesday--”Ghosts of Mississippi” (MOVIE 8-10 p.m.) Oscar-nominated movie about the struggle to solve the murder of 1960s civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg star. Available on video. “The Nasty Girl” (Bravo, 8:30-10:30 p.m.) Movie based on actual events about a German girl whose research into her village’s history revealed that her parents’ generation was more involved in racist right-wing politics during the 1930s and ‘40s than anyone wanted to admit.

Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, associate director for teacher education, Cal State University. Columns available at https://www.latimes.com/tvsmarts.