The impact sport and recreation have on the environment and the need to educate middle and high school students

With the expansion of sporting recreation, the environment is subject to extreme degradation through sports and outdoor recreation. This thesis shows that environmental degradation of all kinds can occur when there is a misunderstanding of human impact during sporting events and recreational activities. This project was completed in order to educate specifically middle school and high school students to recognize the impact they have when they use the environment for personal recreation and sporting activities. This thesis describes the impact recreation and sports have on the environment, how people can use sports and recreation as a way to teach middle school and high school students, and finally a detailed set of lesson plans for educators to use for student understanding. A considerable amount of research was collected for educators to further teach students about the importance of preserving the environment while enjoying the outdoors.