How to Give an Account of the Influence of the Environment on Man

Humans have a deep, inter-connected relationship with the environment. People are affected by their environment on every level, starting with the primal levels of survival. How climate change or environmental pollution affect human health are part of the topic of environmental influences on man. In order to give a solid account of environmental effects on humans, you will need to combine research strategies with creative thinking.

Instructions

• 1

  Explore the definition of environment. It is a broad term that encompasses many levels of your surroundings. Familiarize yourself with the range of factors that involved in the environment. The natural environment is only one aspect of the environment and it must be explored on many levels. For example, air and water quality, and the effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays, are all environmental effects. In an urban environment, traffic, concrete and sirens affect residents' health and psychology. Understand that every part of humanity's surroundings is part of the environment.

• 2

  Our natural environment effects our choice of shelter.

  Create a list of possibilities. Be creative and write down any way in your surroundings might affect you. Consider how humankind depends on the environment for survival. Food, shelter, work, religious beliefs and entertainment are all connected to the environment. Consider how each of your senses is affected by your surroundings. Write down anything that you think might be related, even if you don't yet know the effects.

• 3

  Research particular environmental factors. A search for information on the effects of water pollution, for example, will give you specific details to relate in your account. As you begin to explore a subject, scan all the pages that appear on the search page for the topic. In this way, one idea will lead you to others that you may not have considered. A search on the effects of living in a coastal environment might lead to the effects of living in a city on the coast versus living in a rural coastal environment. Pay attention to how factors are interconnected. For example, heavy metals that are ingested by fish can cause human illness when people consume the fish. Remember that humanity is part of a delicate, interconnected web of life.

• 4

  The health of our water supply is essential.

  Outline and organize your ideas. Consider the parameters of the account you want to give. Pay attention to length if it is written, or time limit if it is an oral account. Use the outline to group together common ideas or themes. For example, group together water-related topics, such as how the health of the water supply effects drinking water, food for animals, factory production, agriculture, the weather, and coastal living situations.

• 5

  Shape the account. Create an opening statement that introduces your findings. Come up with a conclusion that connects the information you have found. Once you have a strong introduction and a clear conclusion, you can edit the information you want to relay so that your account is a clear journey from beginning to end.

• 6

  Test your account before you give it. Try your speech or article out on anyone who will listen or read it before you present it officially. Trial runs will give you the opportunity to refine it. Pay attention to any questions the listener asks when you are finished. Questions may be clues that help you improve your account.