User:Chris the Paleontologist/sandbox

This is the sandbox that I sometimes use for testing out different things before I add them to pages.

Frog genetic defects AfD

 * Weak keep - The article itself doesn't even indicate that genetic defects among frogs hold any significance whatsoever and focuses on defects with environmental causes. I quote:The first frogs with these genetic defects were found in the August of 1995 in south and central Minisota. The herpetologists believed that these were not any inherited defects.
 * Not any inherited defects. That's the exact opposite of genetic defects. However, there are many hits on Google Scholar for the phrase Frog "genetic defects", and although some only mention frogs in passing, several do indeed seem to refer to studies of genetic defects in frogs . The article does need to fundamentally rewritten, yes, but I think that some notability is established in the scholarly works. If later on in the discussion it is determined that the topic is not suitable for its own article, perhaps we could merge this into another page. But, for now, keep. Chris the Paleontologist  (talk &#124; contribs) 18:49, 30 December 2011 (UTC)

Criticism of MCAS
The MCAS has been criticized for being too narrow in nature and for pressuring teachers into restricting the curriculum to material covered by the tests. It has been met with opposition from mayor Scott W. Lang from New Bedford, who called it "completely unsustainable" and "impractical". He claimed that the MCAS was causing students to drop out of high school, and expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that public high school students must pass the MCAS to graduate. Charles Gobron, superintendent of the Northborough school district, claimed that the standards set by the MCAS were "unfair", and that the minimum threshold for proficiency was being raised each year, "making it look like schools are doing worse than they really are." The MCAS has also faced opposition from public school teachers. Some, such as Joan Bonsignore of Easthampton High School, claim that the tests do not accurately demonstrate the skills of students, and that they cause anxiety among the students.

Production
The Future Is Wild was produced with budget of £5,000,000 over the course of four years.

Reception
Dinosaur Revolution has generally received mixed reviews from critics. Brian Swetik of Smithsonian criticized the show, citing low-quality animation and a lack of scientific content. He described it as "more of a dinosaur tribute than a scientific documentary". Holtz, who commented on the review, generally agreed with Swetik's analysis of the program. Linda Stasi, a TV critic for the New York Post, criticized the show for being too "cutesy," although she did note that the program teaches viewers "a huge amount of interesting stuff". Ross Langager of PopMatters expressed concerns similar to those of Swetik and Stasi, criticizing the show for its lack of scientific content and seriousness. Brian Lowry of Variety had a more positive outlook on the show: while he was critical of the show's lack of "revolutionary" content, he still determined that it was "a creditable stab at offering viewers a taste of life on a prehistoric planet." The opinions of New York Daily News reviewer David Hinckley were very similar to those of Lowry.