Article
Andy Isaacson (Tristan da Cunha); Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images
Paired Texts,

This Is the Loneliest Place on Earth/ This Is the Most Crowded Place on Earth

Where would you rather live?

By Tod Olson
From the September 2019 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will compare and contrast life in Tristan da Cunha and Dhaka, Bangladesh

Lexiles: 400L-500L, 500L-600L
Guided Reading Level: M
DRA Level: 20
Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast,
Common Core Standards
  • R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, R.9, W.1, W.2, W.4, SL.1, SL.2, L.2
TEKS Standards
  • Strand 1; standard 1, 1.2, 2.6, 3.7, 4.9, 6.11, 6.12

Presentation View
See Student View

Story Navigation

Lexile® measure

  • On Level
  • Lower Level
Download and Print
Lower Level (400L-500L)
Think and Read: Compare and Contrast

As you read, look for how these two extreme places are alike and different.

The Loneliest Place: Tristan da Cunha 

Welcome to an island in the Atlantic Ocean that’s home to more penguins than people!

Jim McMahon/Mapman® 

Auscape/UIG via Getty Images

In the Atlantic Ocean is an island called Tristan da Cunha (KOO-nah). About 240 people live there. So do about 300 cows, 500 sheep, and a whole lot of penguins.

There’s no airport on Tristan. Every month or so, a boat brings visitors. The boat also brings mail and supplies.

The nearest town is on an island 1,514 miles away. That makes the people of Tristan the most isolated people on Earth. No one even locks their doors there.

Life on Tristan has never been easy. The British tried to build a base for soldiers there in 1816. It didn’t work. But one soldier and his family got a few people to stay.

Those people slowly built a community. For food, they raised pigs, cows, and sheep. They promised to share everything they had.

Today, nearly everyone on Tristan is a farmer or a fisherman. The island’s main industry is fishing. It has a factory that cans fish.

In 1961, a volcano on the island erupted. It ruined the factory and damaged the town. Everyone left to go to England. But it was too loud and too crowded. Nearly all who left came back to the island. They rebuilt their town.

Life on Tristan started with a promise to share everything. And in 200 years, not much has changed.

In the Atlantic Ocean is an island called Tristan da Cunha (KOO-nah). About 240 people live there. Many cows, sheep, and penguins do too.

There's no airport on the island. Every month or so, a boat brings visitors. It also brings mail and supplies.

The nearest town is on an island 1,514 miles away. That makes the people of Tristan the most isolated people on Earth. No one even locks their doors there.

Life on Tristan is not easy. The British tried to build a base for soldiers there in 1816. It didn't work. But a few people stayed.

Those people built a community. For food, they raised pigs, cows, and sheep. They promised to share everything they had.

Today, nearly everyone on Tristan is a farmer or a fisherman. The island has a factory that cans fish.

In 1961, a volcano on the island erupted. The factory was ruined. The town was damaged. The people left. They went to England. But it was too loud and too crowded. The people came back to the island. They rebuilt their town.

Life on Tristan started with a promise to share. And in 200 years, not much has changed.

The Most Crowded Place: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Next door to India you’ll find a city so crowded, people ride on the roofs of trains and buses!

Jim McMahon/Mapman® 

Yousuf Tushar/LightRocket via Getty Images

Dhaka (DAH-kuh) is the capital of Bangladesh. That’s a country in South Asia. Almost 19 million people live in Dhaka. Every year, 400,000 more squeeze into the city.

Thousands of bicycles clog the streets. Trains get so full that people ride on the roof. The traffic may be the worst in the world. That’s why people don’t visit friends very often. It takes too long to get anywhere!

Dhaka struggles to support its new residents. There aren’t enough places to live, so homeless people crowd the sidewalks. Smoke from factories fills the air. Sewers clog when it rains, and water floods the city. 

So why do so many people want to live there? They want jobs. Dhaka has factories that produce clothing, chemicals, and more.

Cities like Dhaka bring people from different backgrounds together. They also give them many things to do. Dhaka has movie theaters, restaurants, and shopping malls. There are more than 50 universities.

Life in a big city like Dhaka isn’t easy. It can be dirty. You can waste a lot of time stuck in traffic. But people are deciding that it’s worth the trouble.

Dhaka (DAH-kuh) is the capital of Bangladesh. That's a country in South Asia. Almost 19 million people live in Dhaka. Every year, 400,000 more move to the city.

Bikes fill the streets. Trains get so full that people ride on the roof. The traffic may be the worst in the world. People rarely visit friends. It takes too long to get around.

Dhaka has problems. There aren't enough places to live, so many people are homeless. Smoke from factories fills the air. Sewers clog when it rains, and water floods the city. 

So why do so many people want to live there? They want jobs. Dhaka has many factories. It's a good place to find a job.

In a city like Dhaka, there is a lot to do. Dhaka has movie theaters. It has restaurants and shopping malls. It has many universities too.

Life in Dhaka is not easy. It can be dirty. You can waste a lot of time stuck in traffic. But for many people, it's worth the trouble.    

THINK AND WRITE

In what ways are Tristan da Cunha and Dhaka alike? How are they different? Write a paragraph answering these questions, using details from both stories.

THINK AND WRITE

In what ways are Tristan da Cunha and Dhaka alike? How are they different? Write a paragraph answering these questions, using details from both stories.

Slideshows (1)
Audio ()
Activities (5)
Reading Kit
Skills Activities
Quizzes (2)
Quizzes (2)
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
Audio ()
Activities (5) Download All Quizzes and Skill Builders
Reading Kit
Skills Activities
Quizzes (2)
Quizzes (2)
Answer Key (1)
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Watch This

This fascinating video gives you a tour of Tristan Da Cunha in two minutes. It also includes short interviews with residents.

Watch This

Our article mentions that the people of Tristan had to relocate to England after the devastating eruption of their volcano. This 2 ½-minute video documents the arrival and departure of its residents to Southampton, England. If you only want to show one group’s triumphant return, start the video at the 1:15 minute mark. 

Watch This

This 4-minute video about ways to improve life in Dhaka is admittedly not made with young children in mind, but it’s worth sharing to see the city’s traffic and overcrowding, and may spark a conversation about how people come up with solutions to big problems.

More About the Article

Content-Area Connections

Social Studies: Geography, world cultures

Social-emotional learning: Relationship skills (social engagement, teamwork) 

Key Skills

Compare and contrast, summarizing, drawing conclusions, main idea, cause and effect, making inferences, expressing an opinion, text features

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

Explore Text Features/ Set a Purpose for Reading (10 minutes)

  • Direct students to the labels on page 10 that say “Paired Texts” and “One topic, two stories.” Ask them to read aloud the titles and subtitles on pages 10 and 11. Then ask students to identify the topic of both stories. (how people live in the loneliest place and the most crowded place on Earth)
  • Point to the photos on pages 10 and 11. Explain that the word remotest in the sign means farthest away. Ask students to describe each photo. Have them predict how they might answer the question in the subtitle on page 11.
  • Direct students to the titles of the stories on pages 12 and 13. Read each one aloud while students follow along.
  • Point to the maps. Explain that the small maps on pages 12 and 13 show where in the world Tristan da Cunha and Dhaka, Bangladesh, are located.
  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 10 and the Think and Write box on page 13. As students read each article, remind them to look for details that explain how these two extreme places are alike and different.

Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)

  • We have highlighted in bold six words that may be challenging and defined them on the page. Preview these words by projecting or distributing our Vocabulary Skill Builder and completing it as a class. You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow, in which images and audio help students with comprehension and fluency.
  • Highlighted words: isolated, community, industry, erupted, residents, sewers

2. CLOSE READING

Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • First read: Students should read the article once for general comprehension.
  • Second read: Distribute Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions to the class. Preview them together. Ask students to reread the articles and answer the questions as a class or in small groups. (These questions are now available in Google Forms, so students can type in their answers and send them to you.)

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

  • Why are the people of Tristan the most isolated people on Earth? (main idea) They live 1,514 miles away from the nearest town. Since the island has no airport, they depend on a boat that visits the island only once a month.
  • Why don’t the people of Tristan ever lock their doors? (drawing conclusions) Since their town is isolated and few people live there, they know their neighbors and have no reason to not trust them.
  • What happened to the people on Tristan after the volcano erupted in 1961? (summarizing) Because the town was damaged and the factory was ruined, everyone moved to England. But it was so loud and crowded there that nearly everyone moved back to Tristan and rebuilt the town.
  • Read “The Most Crowded Place: Dhaka, Bangladesh.” How does the number of people who live there compare with the number who live in Tristan? (compare and contrast) Almost 19 million people live in Dhaka. About 240 people live in Tristan.
  • How does the photo on page 13 help you understand the second paragraph on the page? (text features) The photo shows people riding on the roof of a full train, which is described in the paragraph.
  • How does the huge number of people living in Dhaka affect life there? (cause and effect) Homeless people live on the sidewalk. Factory smoke fills the air. When it rains, the sewers become clogged and water floods the city.
  • Why do the people in Dhaka believe that living there is worth the trouble? (making inferences) Although life in Dhaka isn’t easy, people go there because there are many jobs. Also, there are many things to do. People can go to movie theaters, restaurants, and shopping malls, and study at more than 50 universities.

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

  • What is the same about people’s daily lives in Tristan and Dhaka? What is different? (compare and contrast) People in Tristan and Dhaka don’t  have easy lives. However, people find work in both places. Because Tristan is isolated, people there share everything. They’re farmers or fishermen. In Dhaka, people work in factories. While the people who live in Tristan live simple lives, people in Dhaka have busy lives with a lot to do. Where would you rather live and why? (expressing an opinion) Answers may vary. Students should include information from the articles in their responses.

3. SKILL BUILDING

Putting Ideas Together

  • Distribute our Compare and Contrast Skill Builder. Have students complete it in pairs.
  • Discuss the task in the Think and Write box on page 13. Remind students to begin their paragraphs with a sentence that sums up the main idea. Ask volunteers to read their paragraphs aloud.

Differentiate and Customize
For Reading Partners

Have students read the articles silently and look for the ways that Tristan and Dhaka are the same and different. If they could visit each place, what would they see and do? Have students write a postcard from either Tristan or Dhaka to a friend in the United States.

For Guided Reading Groups

Read the article together. As students read, ask them to pay attention to how people live in Tristan and Dhaka. If they could write to students in either place, what questions would they ask? Write their questions on the board and read them with the group.

For Struggling Readers

Read the lower-Lexile version of the articles aloud while students follow along. Ask them to underline details about life in Tristan and Dhaka. Call on volunteers to read aloud the details they highlighted. Which place would the students like to visit? Why?

For Advanced Readers

Ask students to write a four-line poem about life in either Tristan or Dhaka. They should use words that describe how the place they chose looks, sounds, and smells. Students can share their poems in small groups.

Text-to-Speech