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Describe the function and effect of common literary devices, such as imagery.

Inquiry: 

Have students put their heads down, close their eyes, and prepare to listen carefully to the poem you are about to read.  Ask them to "picture it all" in their heads as you share a selection from the book.  (Examples: Line Up! - The 8 O'Clock Bell - The Man with a Plan -  Safety First - This Bus is Incredibly Cold)

Following the reading(s), allow students time to spatially relate their thoughts in the form of a drawing.  Then have them select a line from the poem to add to the bottom of their work as a caption.

Additional thoughts from the author:

   I greatly enjoy hearing from students and teachers alike, that the words of many of the poems within The 8 O'Clock Bell cause listeners to easily imagine the scenes happening in their heads.  This, to me, lets me know that the verses are extra-enjoyable!  What makes a poem or story put a picture in someone else's mind?  For me, the answer is you don't need a lot of extra words to make your point - just carefully selected ones!  And it very often takes a great deal of time to decide upon which word or words might really be the "right" ones.  I constantly think about how I might do a better job of writing the same line with different, more interesting word choices.  Try it! See how many different ways you can scribble down a thought, without changing the meaning of your message.