Our goal for this paper is twofold. First, we will provide an overview of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's theory of embodied cognition and argue that it is a useful, 'empirically responsible' perspective for understanding the importance of metaphors and other cognitive models (e.g., frames, prototypes, metonymic models) in our thinking and understanding. Second, we will use and critically assess the value of the analytic tools provided by the theory in understanding the cognitive processes and models underlying our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Specifically, we will use the concepts of metaphor, metonymy, frames, and prototypes as analytic tools to gain insight into the cognitive structures underlying the ideas and claims found in descriptions of the 'No Child Left Behind' (NCLB) Act of 2001. (Kevin Clark and Donald Cunningham)