Eco-Mapping

The Eco-Mapping project involves conducting an interview with one caregiver in a family that includes
one or more children to increase students’ understanding of family-centered strategies, family support,
and family-professional collaboration. As part of the assignment, students will conduct an interview,
create an eco-map, and write a 2–3-page report reflecting on their interview and the eco-mapping
process for practice.
Goals:

1. To reflect upon the importance of family-centered strategies and family-professional
   collaboration.
2. To apply the eco-mapping process to a real-life scenario.
3. To apply Bioecological Systems Theory to a real-life scenario.

Points:
This assignment is worth 80 points (21% of your class grade).

Format:
Your report should be 2-3 pages (apart from title, reference, and eco-map pages), double-spaced, and
consistent with APA format (do not include an abstract). Refrain from using quotations. In absence of an
APA style manual, the following site is a great resource for formatting your paper in APA (7th edition)
style: Purdue OWL Site – APA Format

Submission Guidelines:
Please upload your assignment to CANVAS (see syllabus and CANVAS for due date). Your uploaded
assignment should include your eco-map (can be a picture/PDF) and the written report. You must turn
the written part of report in on CANVAS.
Suggested deadlines for each step listed below can be found in the syllabus.

Directions:
Individually, complete the steps below.

STEP 1: Interview

1. Identify a parent/caregiver in a family that includes a child aged 1-12 (get approval if the child’s
   age falls outside this range). If the parent has more than one child, please select one to be the
   focus of your ecomap (though, of course, you can include both in the eco-map).
2. Contact the parent/caregiver to ask for their permission to participate in an interview (30-45
   minutes) about their family, specifically information about their child, family supports, and social
   supports.
3. Based on your reading of McCormick et al. (2008) and our class lecture (Week 4), conduct an ecomapping interview with the parent/caregiver. [This should be completed after reading and
   watching the class lecture on eco-mapping.]

Sasha M. Zeedyk, Ph.D.
CAS 201
2
STEP 2: Eco-Map

1. Based on the field notes you collect during your interview (which may be a rough draft of your
   eco-map), create an eco-map.
2. The eco-map should include the following elements:
   • People, organizations, and agencies that are part of the family’s life (minimum 12 circles).
   Under each you should have:
   i. R: The Relationship
   ii. S: The type of Support
   iii. F: The Frequency of support
   • Relationship lines – identify the strength and direction of each relationship discussed
   • In your final draft (the one you hand in), use pseudonyms or initials (not actual names) to
   protect the privacy of the family.

STEP 3: Report
Write a 2-3-page report (typed, double-spaced, APA format) including the following elements:

1. Brief introduction that denotes the scope of the report. (suggested 1 short paragraph)
2. Reflect on eco-map by answering the following questions: (suggested 2-3 paragraphs)
   • What significant/important resources or supports are available to the child/family?
   • What resources or supports are nonexistent or in short supply? Would you recommend
   any services/resources for this child/family? Why or why not?
   • Based on your experience with this assignment, explain how the eco-mapping process
   would enhance your practice (or, if you’re not a CHAD major, the practice of someone in
   the field of child development). Explain 1-2 challenges you (or a professional in the field)
   might face in using this process.
3. Apply Bronfenbrenner’s Theory to your eco-mapping process. (suggested 2-3 paragraphs)
   • Describe each level of the ecological systems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems
   framework (mico-, meso-, exo-, macro-, and chronosystems) by defining/explaining each
   system. Please paraphrase when coming up with a definition for each level and cite your
   source (which may be your textbook, lecture slides, or an outside source) in APA format.
   • Include examples from your interview at each level of the ecological systems (2-3 mico-,
   2-3 meso-, 1-2 exo-, 1-2 macro-, and 1-2 chronosystems). For example, if the parent
   identifies the child’s coach as someone whom the child interacts with on a regular basis
   and who directly influences the child, you could include the coach as an example in your
   discussion of the microsystem.
4. Brief conclusion. (suggested 1-2 sentences)
5. Attach your eco-map
   • You may have a picture of a handwritten eco-map if it is neat and your handwriting is
   legible, or you can turn in a PDF copy if you make it in PowerPoint or some other
   program. Please don’t turn in your rough draft.
   Sasha M. Zeedyk, Ph.D.
   CAS 201
   3
   Assignment #1 Grading Rubric
   Requirement
   Points
   Possible
   Introduction & Conclusion
   Brief introduction that denotes the scope of the report, and brief conclusion at the end of the
   report.
   6
   Eco-Map Reflection
   All required questions have been thoroughly answered:
   • What significant/important resources or supports are available to the child/family?
   • What resources or supports are nonexistent or in short supply? Would you recommend
   any services/resources for this child/family? Why or why not?
   • Based on your experience with this assignment, explain how the eco-mapping process
   would enhance your practice (or, if you’re not a CHAD major, the practice of someone
   in the field of child development). Explain 1-2 challenges you (or a professional in the
   field) might face using this process.
   15
   Application of Bronfenbrenner’s Theory
   Microsystem defined and 2-3 appropriate examples from interview included 10
   Mesosystem defined and 2-3 appropriate examples from interview included 10
   Exosystem defined and 1-2 appropriate examples from interview included 5
   Macrosystem defined and 1-2 appropriate examples from interview included 5
   Chronosystem defined and 1-2 appropriate examples included 5
   Eco-Map
   People, organizations, and agencies that are part of the family’s life (minimum 12 circles).
   Under each you should have:
   • R: The Relationship
   • S: The type of Support
   • F: The Frequency of support
   15
   Relationship lines – identify the strength and direction of each relationship discussed 4
   Format: Quality of Writing and APA Format
   • No significant typos or spelling errors. Overall writing quality (e.g., grammar, clarity)
   • Includes in-text citations for paraphrasing (Gonzalez-Mena, 2017) or (McCormick et al.,
   2008)
   • Limited or no direct quotations
   • Overall APA format is used (e.g., margins, headings, font, spacing, reference page, title