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--”The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (DISN, 9:30-10 a.m.) This episode of the animated series based on characters from A.A. Milne’s classic children’s books is titled “Find Her, Keep Her.” VCR+793978. Also, from noon to 5:30 p.m., KCET airs nine episodes of “Wishbone,” the live-action series about classic books, in which a terrier introduces kids to works by Twain, Irving, Stevenson and Crane.

* Friday--”The Adventures of Mark Twain” (TCM, 5-7 p.m.) This 1944 movie, as fanciful a version of Mark Twain’s life as the author himself might have devised, introduces viewers to the major themes of his classic novels. Frederick March stars. VCR+38911843. Also, from 5-11 p.m. the History Channel airs five episodes of the historical documentary series “Frontier: Legends of the Old Northwest,” about guerrilla warfare east of the Mississippi River in the 1800s, which involved U.S., British, French and Native American forces in shifting alliances.

* Saturday--”U.S. Olympic Gold” (KNBC, 3:30-4 p.m.) This episode of the sports-documentary series on Americans preparing for the next Summer and Winter Olympics covers female speed-skaters, kayakers and 17-year-old U.S. taekwondo champion Mandy Meloon. VCR+225. Also, “The Science of Magic” (DISC, 4-5 p.m.) This documentary shows the scientific explanations of certain magic tricks. VCR+984916.

* Sunday--”Dessert Derby” (KCET, 8:30-9 a.m.) This episode of the live-action math series “The Eddie Files” is about a cooking contest and the function of charts and graphs in recipes. Elizabeth Pena guest-stars. Also, “Nerds 2.0.1” (KCET, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) A science documentary about Internet pioneers and their effect on our lives. Robert X. Cringley hosts.

--Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg, in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, associate director for teacher education, Cal State University, Northridge. Columns available at: www.calendarlive.com/HOME/CALENDARLIVE/TVENT/TVSMARTS.nnnn