How to draw an elephant....

During the first week of school, the first graders created "time capsules" as a cross-curricular math, art, and writing project.  One of the tasks they were asked to complete was to measure themselves using both nonstandard and standard forms of measurement, and then complete the following prompt:

"I am ____(shoes, chairs, paper hearts, or whatever nonstandard measurement unit they had used) tall.  This is about ____ inches tall.  Something that is as tall as me is  _____________."

Then, they drew pictures of the object that was as tall as them.

Oliver* had  real difficulty in completing this prompt.  After gathering his measurements, he sat at his desk with his head in his hands and his lower lip jutting out.  

"Oliver, can you think of something that's as tall as you in real life?" I asked as I came around.

"Yes, a baby ewephant," he grouched, sticking his lip out even further.

"Okay, well write that down and then show me how you would draw a baby elephant," I instructed.

"I can't!"  

He kicked at his desk.

"Yes, you can.  I've seen you draw before and I know you can do this," I said encouragingly. "Do you need help sounding words out?"

Oliver rolled his eyes way up to the ceiling.

"No, I CAN'T."

"Oliver, you can.  Just do your best."

He looked me dead in the eye and huffed. 

"Miss Hodges, I can't draw a baby elephant on this tiny piece of paper!"

(Except it sounded more like, "Miss Hodges, I can't dwaw a baby ewephant on this tiny piece of pape-oh!")