Peer Review

Cambito e sua turma

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Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Cambito is the creation of Brazilian cartoonist Otavio Rios. It is an online
comic strip that features the life of a young Brazilian male who lives in a high
poverty community in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Cambito and his cartoon character
friends exist in a vibrant and often violent hip hop culture. While one of the
characters in his group has turned to drug trafficking to become rich, Cambito
rejects the criminal life in favor of education. The site is meant to appeal to
Brazilian youth who can relate to the harsh realities of urban life and to the
crying need for equity and social justice. From the web site, users can access
educational modules on sports, nutrition, science, health, ecology, historical
topics, and folklore.
Type of Material:: Animation
Recommended Uses:: This material can be profitably used by students of Portuguese language and
Brazilian civilization.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Users will learn about Brazilian culture and social issues such as poverty,
marginalization and modern urban life.
Target Student Population:: The intended population is Brazilian youth, however the web site will be
instructive to any students of social justice and those who promote education as
a form of empowerment. Learners of Portuguese and Brazilian culture will also
find rich materials here.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Portuguese language proficiency

Rating:
Strengths:: This site is truly one of a kind in its frank and unflinching look at the harsh
realities that youth face as the impoverished and thereby disenfranchised
members of contemporary society. One feature is the video game navigation scheme
that will appeal to young users as they are exposed to the central message of
the site: that education is the key to combatting socioeconomic inequities. This
web site not only gives youth in low income areas a voice, but uses the cartoon
strip Cambito is an identifier and springboard for discussion about street
violence, the proliferation of firearms in the hands of children, and the role
of government in changing this culture.

Faculty can use Cambito to show more of Brazilian culture than the typical
football, Carnaval and beaches depicted in textbooks and travel brochures. There
are learning modules on nutrition, science, history, folklore, and music. The
music section has mp3 versions of traditional Brazilian songs.

Cartoonist Rios uses the Cambito character as a kind of symbolic hero to wage
campaigns against smoking and to argue for peace in Brazil and in the world. He
uses his art to advance powerful social messages.

Rating:
Strengths:: This site is extremely attractive and visually interactive. There is sufficient
breadth of material to use regularly throughout the course of a semester for new
food for thought. Students can write reflection papers on the information there
and make comparisons to their own culture. It can be used independently or in
class. The individual stories are short enough to be projected and discussed in
a classroom. The contemporary feel of the site overall and the cartoon
characters in particular will be attractive to young learners.

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is first class in its creative design and intuitive, visually/spacially
oriented navigation scheme. The cartoons adapt perfectly to the online
environment. The author is sensitive to digital divide issues and uses the web
site itself as a message regarding the importance of access for all.