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--”Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam” (Bravo, 5-7 p.m., repeats 9-11 p.m.) The work of this Canadian performance group is recommended for study in California arts classes. On Saturday, its newest show, “Cirque du Soleil: Dralion” airs 2-4 p.m. For more information, log on https://www.bravotv.com or https://www.cox.com. Also, “First Annual KLCS-TV Film Festival” (KLCS, 8 p.m.-midnight) Documentaries by and about women are featured, including “Step by Step: Building a Feminist Movement, 1941-1977,” “Nu Shu: A Hidden Language of Women in China,” “Black Women On: The Light, Dark Thing” and “I Stare at You and Dream,” about Latino women in Los Angeles’ Highland Park. On Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight, the festival presents videos by students from the Los Angeles Unified School District, Cal State Los Angeles and UCLA.

* Friday--”Route 66--Main Street of America” (TLC, 8-9 p.m., repeats 11 p.m.-midnight) Shows how the route from Chicago to Santa Monica became one of the most famous highways in the world. Peter Fonda narrates. Also, “Visiting With Huell Howser: Mani’s Bakery” (City Channel 35, 7-7:30 p.m.) Documentary explains how a bakery in the Fairfax district combines science and culinary art to make bread and desserts without wheat, eggs or refined sugar. On Saturday, “Regina’s Vegetarian Table” (KLCS, 3-3:30 p.m.) describes making Italian food without animal products.

* Saturday--”Disney’s New True Life Adventures” (KABC, noon-1 p.m.) Focuses on odd birds and dangerous reptiles. Also, “Why We Lie” (DISC, 9-10 p.m.) Explains human tendency to fib.

* Sunday--”Christianity: The Second Millennium, Part I” (A&E;, 8-10 p.m., repeats 10 p.m.-midnight) Documentary about Christianity from AD 1000 to the present provides a valuable survey of European history. Laurence Fishburne narrates. Also, “National Geographic Explorer: Pushing the Limit” (CNBC, 8-9 p.m.) Documentary about climbing Himalayan peak K2, considered the most dangerous mountain in the world. Hosted by expert climber Ed Viesturs, it follows a team that includes Heidi Howkins, who is preparing to be the first American woman to reach the summit, and recounts the story of Alison Hargreaves, a British woman who died in an earlier climb.

* Monday--”Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt” (KCET, 10-11 p.m.) Documentary about the life and career of Umm Kulthum, Egypt’s most beloved singer and one of the most acclaimed international recording artists, set against the backdrop of contemporary Egyptian history. Omar Sharif narrates.

* Tuesday--”Along the Owens River” (City, 7:30-7:46 p.m.) Documentary about water issues will be followed by “Along the Coast,” “Hyperion,” “Water You Can Trust,” “The Garden of Water and Fragrance” and “Water Quality.” Also, “The New Detectives: Flames of Justice” (DISC, 9-10 p.m.) Documentary about the scientific aspects of arson investigation reveals why people who try to cover up criminal activity by burning the evidence are caught and convicted.

* Wednesday--”The Greatest Space Vehicle” (TLC, 8-9 p.m.) Documentary about the space shuttle, now the defining symbol of the “second space age,” because it is reusable, unlike the one-way capsules of an earlier era. Also, “The First Measured Century” (KCET, 9 p.m.-midnight) Marathon series of documentaries about mathematics and social-science data compilation. Using unique graphics, it covers the 20th century by the numbers, dramatizing research by original tabulators, such as George Gallup, Alfred Kinsey, Jane Addams, W.E.B. Dubois and Frank Fukuyama.

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Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, dean of the School of Education, College of St. Rose, Albany, N.Y. Columns available at https://www.calendarlive.com/go/tvsmart.