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© ADRIANO A. BIONDO/BIONDOPICTURES
Mini Read,

A Purr-fect School

Why is this building shaped like a cat?

By Meg Richardson and Alex Winnick
From the March/April 2026 Issue
Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    The article explains why some architects decide to make unusual buildings, like a cat-shaped school or a fish-shaped office, and how a buildings’ appearances affect us. Students are directed to find key ideas in the text.
  • Structure
    The article is composed of three sections. It opens with a description of a cat-shaped school in Germany. The first main section explains how the inside and outside of buildings affect the way we feel. The second main section describes interesting buildings around the world.
  • Language
    The article is written in the third person. It includes descriptive writing.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is necessary.
Lexile: 700L-800L

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FACT FINDER

In the article, find:

  • What do architects do?
  • Why might a school in Germany look like a cat?
  • How can buildings affect how we feel?

Picture a school. Maybe you’re imagining a low brick building in the middle of a grassy field. Or perhaps you’re thinking of a tall building with large windows in a busy city.  

You’re probably not picturing windows shaped like eyes, a door that looks like a mouth, and a tail that’s also a slide. But that’s what some students in Germany think of. Why? Their school looks like a cat!

Excited for School

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A fish-shaped office building

The architects who created this building likely wanted kids to feel excited about going to school. (Architects are people who design the way buildings look.) But can a structure’s appearance really affect the way we feel? 

Absolutely! If a building doesn’t have a lot of light, it can make us feel gloomy. Buildings with lively colors, shapes, or decorations have the opposite effect. Looking at those structures can help boost our energy and mood.

Interesting Shapes

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The toad museum

The cat school is one of many buildings with interesting shapes. In India, there’s an office building shaped like a huge fish. It has gray fins, blue eyes, and windows that look like scales. 

Another building, in Ohio, looks like a giant basket. That’s because it was the main office of a company that sold wooden baskets. 

And in Thailand, a museum about toads looks like . . . an enormous toad! The toad’s mouth is a balcony where visitors can enjoy amazing views.

Which building would you want to visit?

PARAGRAPH POWER!

Imagine you’re an architect designing a new building. Write a paragraph explaining what shape you will make the building and why.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2026 issue.

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