The Running Man
Research task:
1. Use the library non- fiction collection or the internet to find examples of early Colonial art. Are the depictions of people, animals and the landscape accurate? If not, why do you think this is so?
In many of the examples of early Colonial art the depictions of the people, animals and landscape were not truly accurate. An example of this is the landscape is often depicted looking green and lush with rolling hills and valleys similar to an English landscape. As most of these examples of art were intended for the English or European market and were often used in published accounts of voyages of discovery it was depicted to not look harsh and unforgiving but filled with exotic looking natives and beautiful wild flowers.
2. Raising silkworms:
Silkworms go through four stages of development, as do most insects: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adult (imago) stage is the silkworm moth. The larva is the silkworm caterpillar. Since the silkworm grows so much, it must shed its skin four times while it is growing.

Silkworm Life Cycle

How is silk made? : When the silkworm forms a covering around itself by producing a protein through its head, this is called the cocoon stage. This is the most desirable stage for the silk producers. It is at this time that the cocoons are delivered to the factory by the farmer. These factories are called filature operations. Once the cocoons reach the filature operations they are sorted by colour, size, shape and texture. They usually range from white and yellow to greyish. After the cocoons have been sorted, they have to be boiled in water, while they are still intact, for 5 minutes while they are being turned gently. They are then taken out of the water and a dissecting needle is used to start picking up the strands. Once a single strand is found that will come off easily it has to be wound around a pencil. This silk must then be packed into small bundles called books. These are then shipped to silk mills around the world.
3. Who was M.C. Escher? What did he do? When?
Maurits Corneils Escher is one of the world’s most famous graphic artists and his art is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. He was born June 17th 1898 in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands and died March 17th 1972. Escher spent a number of years travelling through Europe, while his interest in graphics grew. In 1921 he got married and lived in Rome, Italy. At the time, his works depicted landscapes using impossible perspectives. Escher is most famous for his so-called impossible structures, such as Ascending and Descending, Relativity and his Transformation Prints, such as Metamorphosis I, Metamorphosis II and Metamorphosis III, Sky & Water I and Reptiles. Apart from being a graphic artist, Escher also illustrated books, designed tapestries, postage stamps and murals. During his life time, Escher made 448 lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings and over 2000 drawings and sketches.

Impossible structure: Ascending and Descending

4. How was Australia involved in the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War began on November 1st, 1955. It was a war that was fought in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The communist forces wanted to expand their territory to include these countries. The war began due to opposing political agendas. North Vietnam had adopted communism and did not want to become a communist state. South Vietnam was an anti- communist government and did not want to become a communist state. The South Vietnamese government sought assistance from the United States and her regional ally, Australia. Both countries responded civil and military aid. Australia’s contribution was small in comparison to America’s, but sufficient to show loyalty to the United State, Australia’s most valued ally.
Australia’s initial military contribution to South Vietnam was modest; comprising a team of 30 advisers who worked in various areas of the country under the command of Colonel F.P. ‘Ted’ Serong. The Vietnam War was the longest major conflict in which Australians have been involved; it lasted ten years, from 1962 to 1972. In the early years Australia’s participation in the war was not widely opposed. Involvement in the war cost more than 500 Australian servicemen their lives, while some 3000 were wounded, otherwise injured or were victims of illness. For Australia the Vietnam War was the cause of the greatest social and political dissent since the First World War.