Express Yourself with the Large Candle Craft: Identity & Self Creative Expression

Grade: Second · Subject: Identity & Self · Time: 30 min · Difficulty: Standard

Learning Objective

Students will creatively express aspects of their identity through personalizing a large candle template using words and colors that represent themselves.

Teacher-Selected Inputs

Grade: Second
Subject: Identity & Self
Skill: Creative Expression, Fine Motor Skills, Oral Language, Self-Awareness
Educational Setting: General Education
Difficulty: Standard
Duration: 30 min

Why this printable fits

This Large Candle printable supports Identity & Self lessons by providing a visual and hands-on tool for students to creatively express who they are through design and written words about themselves, perfectly aligning with Creative Expression goals.

Vocabulary

PRE-TEACH

Identity: Who you are.
Expression: Showing your feelings or ideas.
Creative: Using your imagination.

USE DURING LESSON

Candle
Color
Decorate
Write
Cut

Materials

Large Candle printable (one per student)
Crayons or colored pencils
Scissors
Pencils or markers

Prep

Make enough copies of the Large Candle printable for each student.
Prepare a word bank card with sentence starters such as 'I am...', 'I like...', 'My favorite color is...'.
Gather coloring and cutting materials.

Lesson Steps

Introduction5 min
Teacher actions: 1. Show the printable to the class. 2. Explain that the candle will help them share something about themselves. 3. Model decorating your candle with colors and writing about yourself. 4. Share your own example aloud.
Teacher script: We are going to use this candle to show who we are. Watch me decorate mine with colors and words that tell you about me.
Example / model: Color the candle flame yellow and write 'I am kind' on the candle body.
Printable use: Show the blank Large Candle printable as a template to decorate and personalize.
Move on when: Students are able to identify parts of the candle (flame and body) and listen to the example.
Support if needed: Provide sentence frames on a word bank card to help students express ideas.
Guided Practice10 min
Teacher actions: 1. Guide students to color their candle's flame and body. 2. Prompt them to think of words about themselves. 3. Support them in writing or dictating these words onto the candle body. 4. Walk around and assist individual students.
Teacher script: Now it’s your turn! Color your candle and write or say words that tell about who you are.
Example / model: Student colors the flame orange and writes 'I like soccer' on their candle.
Printable use: Students color and write their self-descriptive words on their Large Candle printable.
Move on when: Students have started coloring and can tell one word about themselves.
Support if needed: Use word bank card with phrases to support students who have difficulty coming up with words.
Formative Check at Midpoint1 min
Teacher actions: Pause the activity and ask students to share one word they wrote about themselves with a partner or aloud.
Teacher script: Can you tell me one special word you chose to write on your candle?
Example / model: A student says, 'I wrote friendly.
Printable use: Use the candle as a visual aid to support sharing about their creative choices.
Move on when: Students can verbally share at least one self-describing word.
Support if needed: Prompt with sentence frame: 'I wrote ___ on my candle.
Independent Work10 min
Teacher actions: 1. Allow students to finish coloring and decorating. 2. Encourage adding extra drawings or patterns. 3. Facilitate any needed help with cutting the candle out if time permits.
Teacher script: Keep decorating your candle to show more about you. Try to add colors and pictures if you want.
Example / model: A student adds hearts and stars around their candle with markers.
Printable use: Students continue to use the Large Candle printable for completing their personal design.
Move on when: Students remain focused on completing their creative expression on the printable.
Support if needed: Provide pre-cut materials or help with cutting for students having fine motor difficulty.
Sharing and Closing4 min
Teacher actions: 1. Invite volunteers to share their completed candle and explain their designs. 2. Praise all efforts and reinforce identity and creativity. 3. Collect or display candles as agreed.
Teacher script: Who would like to share what they drew and wrote on their candle?
Example / model: A student shares: 'I colored my flame bright yellow because I am happy.
Printable use: Use the decorated Large Candle as a talking piece for sharing about self-expression.
Move on when: Students are ready to share and listen respectfully to peers' presentations.
Support if needed: Use sentence frames such as 'My candle shows that I am ___' to support sharing.

Formative Check

Step: Guided Practice
Ask students to: share one word from their candle that describes themselves
Look for: student can verbally explain a word or phrase they chose to write about themselves

Success Criteria

Students can write or dictate at least two self-descriptive words on their candle printable.
Students can verbally share at least one word describing themselves with the class or a partner.

Differentiation

Support: Use a word bank card with sentence starters and simple adjectives to assist students in writing about themselves.

Scaffold tool: Word Bank Card

Standard: Students color and write words or short phrases that describe their identity on their candle printable independently.

Extension: Students write a short sentence or two explaining why they chose each word on their candle.

Early Finishers: Draw additional decorations around the candle that show things they like or their favorite activities.

Accommodations

Provide pre-cut candle templates for students with fine motor challenges.
Offer pencils with grips or adaptive scissors if needed.
Use sentence frames or provide oral response options to support language production.
Allow additional time for writing and decorating for students who require it.

Common Misconceptions

Students may think they need to write full sentences only; scaffold to accept words or short phrases.
Students may be unsure what 'identity' means; clarify with simple examples tied to their interests.
Some may focus solely on coloring and forget to add words; remind students how writing expresses who they are.

Assessment

Observe students’ ability to produce at least two self-descriptive words or phrases on their candle.
Listen for students’ ability to verbally share and explain one descriptive word.
Check that students are able to complete the coloring and personal decoration as part of their creative expression.

Teacher Notes

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with relevant details.

IF SHORT ON TIME

Keep: Step 2: Guided Practice - students create and write on the candle.
Skip or shorten: Step 4: Independent Work - shorten decorating time or omit cutting.

FOLLOW-UP OPTIONS

Create a 'My Identity Book' using multiple candle pages for deeper self-exploration.
Incorporate story-telling by having students write a short story about a 'day in their life' using their candle words.
Use the candle craft for a classroom display about diversity and acceptance with student presentations.

HOME CONNECTION

Ask your child to share and talk about the words they chose to describe themselves on their candle craft.

Source summary

Based on: Large Candle

Printable summary (sanity check): This lesson uses the Large Candle printable to help second graders explore and express their identity creatively within an Identity & Self subject focus. Through guided coloring and writing, students personalize the candle to reflect who they are, meeting CCSS