TV Smarts

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

* Today--”Time To Grow” (KCET 3:30-4 p.m.) In this episode of KCET’s regular health-education series, expectant parents share their thoughts about the arrival of a baby. Developmental psychologists explain how parents’ expectations and their economic conditions influence what their child will become. For further information, visit https://www.kcet.org.

* Friday--”Connie Martinson Talks Books: Octavia Butler” (City Channel 35, 3-3:30 p.m.; repeats 11:30-midnight) Award-winning science-fiction author Octavia Butler is the guest. Her novels include “Parable of the Sower,” set in South-Central Los Angeles in the near future; “Wild Seed;” and “Kindred (Black Women Writers Series).” Also, “CNN NewsStand: Creationism” (CNN 7-8 p.m.) The ongoing dispute over teaching creationism in schools is examined, focusing on Washington state and Ohio.

* Saturday--”Homes of Heritage: African American Visionaries” (HGTV 2-3 p.m.) Airing during Black History Month, the show gives viewers an inside look at the historic homes of educators Booker T. Washington and Mary McLeod Bethune, composer Scott Joplin, banker Maggie Walker and civil rights activists Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr.

Also, “The Color Of Friendship” (DISN 7:30-9 p.m.) The true story of an African American congressman, Ronald Dellums (D-Calif.), and his family when they opened their home in 1977 to an African exchange student. They are surprised when a white South African girl arrives, and she is upset to discover the race of Dellums and his family. As she and the Dellums’ daughter learn about each other, they overcome their differences and become friends. Repeats throughout the month.

* Sunday--”LifeStory: Muhammad Ali” (NICK 8:30-9:30 p.m.) This tribute to the boxing legend centers on his life at home with wife, Lonnie, and son Assad, 8. Host and writer Linda Ellerbee says, “We want this generation of boys and girls to know why this man is a hero--and it doesn’t have anything to do with boxing.”

* Monday--”Ready When You Are, Mr. Patel” (ODYS 7-8 p.m. repeats 11 p.m.-midnight) Documentary on India’s huge movie industry in Bombay, which people in the business there call “Bollywood.” Hosted by actor Harish Patel. Also, “Duke Ellington’s Washington” (KCET 10-11 p.m.) Documentary on the influential African American community that flourished in Washington, D.C., early in the 20th century, producing hometown talents such as Ellington, Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes.

* Tuesday--”Pharaoh’s Obelisk” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) Ancient technologies using basic science are used to do things such as erect a 40-ton Egyptian stone monument. Also, “Designer Babies” (TLC 10-11 p.m.) A documentary on electronic DNA chips, which are being considered for use in assuring parents their children have genes for intelligence and talents, as well as those that prevent obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.

* Wednesday--”Color Me Dark” (HBO 7:30-8 p.m.) This short dramatic film in HBO’s “Dear America” series is based on actual events in Patricia McKissick’s “Color Me Dark,” (Scholastic Books) about a pair of African American sisters relocated from Tennessee to Chicago because one of them needs medical treatment.

Also, “Failure Analysis” (DISC 8-9 p.m.) In this documentary, engineers and medical experts use computers to sift through statistics on past disasters, analyze present technology failures and predict problems of the future in fields from aeronautics to zoology.

Also, “The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization” (KCET 8-10:30 p.m.) This documentary is TV-rated PG because it graphically depicts historical events and uses movie industry computer techniques to portray the rise, glory, demise and legacy of the empire that marked the beginning of Western civilization. Liam Neeson narrates. A companion book by Paul Cartledge is available in bookstores and there is an interactive educational Web site at https://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks.

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 https://www.latimes.com/tvsmarts.