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Saturday morning: Little League – making plans and suggestions

An A1 ESL lesson plan for making plans and suggestions, with the free time activities students do on the weekend.

Grammar
The present simple for free time with I, you, we and they, can for what's possible, Let's and How about…? (Let's watch the game!), and on, at and in for times.
Topic
Weekend plans around a kids' baseball league in Brooklyn and the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania, with words such as team, coach, fan and bleachers.
Activities
A Little League flyer to read, a dialogue and a radio minute to hear, self-checking drills, a chat, open-the-box weekend plans and a message to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, weekend!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: baseball and the weekendVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: Little League

    • Look at the photo: Little LeaguePictureUnlock
    • Read the flyerReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: weekend plans

    • Listen to Emma and LiamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to the radio: the Little League World SeriesListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: Let's meet on Saturday!

    • Study the scheme: plans for the weekendGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: free time and plansFill in the gapsTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: on, at, inDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: plan a weekend

    • Choose the right replies: plans with JackChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: plan a weekendOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a message: plan the weekendWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: your weekend planSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • baseball
  • bat
  • team
  • coach
  • field
  • fan
  • bleachers

Grammar: free time and making plans

Everyone has a weekend to fill, which makes it the natural thing to plan with a friend. Learners move from routines to invitations: they say what they usually do with the present simple, then what's possible with can, and make suggestions with Let's and How about…? until everyone agrees on a time.

What do you do on the weekend? Let's make a plan!

Talk about your free time with the present simple. Make plans with can, Let's and How about…?

Free time in the present simple

For routines, the verb stays plain with I, you, we and they: I watch baseball on Saturday morning. Negatives take don't. The table shows he, she and it as well, marked as coming in A1.2, so the drills leave them out.

WhoYes ✓No ✗
II watch baseball on Saturday morning.I don't work on Sunday.
youYou relax on the weekend.You don't get up early on Sunday.
he, she, it → A1.2She plays on Saturday.She doesn't play on Sunday.
weWe meet at nine.We don't work on the weekend.
theyThey play baseball on Saturday morning.They don't play on Monday.

Can for plans: what's possible

Here can means it's possible, not a skill: We can meet at nine. Fans can sit on the bleachers. Can you come? works as the invitation, and Sorry, I can't as the polite no.

I / you / he / she / it / we / theycan / can'tverb

We can meet at nine.

Fans can sit on the bleachers.

Can you come? – Sorry, I can't.

Let's, How about…? and Are you free?

The plan table puts each question beside its replies. Let's takes a verb (Let's watch the game!), while How about takes a time or a thing: How about nine o'clock? Are you free on Sunday? gets Yes, I am.

YouYour friend
What do you do on Saturday morning?I relax. / I watch baseball.
Do you play baseball on the weekend?Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Are you free on Sunday?Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.
Can you come?Yes, I can. / Sorry, I can't.
Let's + verb: Let's watch the game!Great idea! / OK!
How about + time or thing: How about nine o'clock?OK! / Sorry, I can't.

On Saturday, at nine, in the morning

Time words follow three patterns: on with a day or the weekend, at with a clock time, in the with a part of the day. A day keeps on when morning follows: on Saturday morning.

on, at or in?

on + day, on the weekend

  • on Saturday
  • on Saturday morning
  • on Sunday afternoon
  • on the weekend

at + time

  • at nine o'clock
  • at 8:30
  • at 11 a.m.

in the + part of the day

  • in the morning
  • in the afternoon
  • in the evening

on the weekend

the weekend = Saturday and Sunday. Say on the weekend, like on Saturday: We relax on the weekend. (Not: in the weekend.)

free = no money, free = not busy

free (no money): The games are free. free (not busy): Are you free on Sunday?

Common mistakes

  • What you do on Saturday?

    What do you do on Saturday?

    questions: What do you + verb

  • Do you can come?

    Can you come?

    can questions: no do

  • We can to meet at nine.

    We can meet at nine.

    can + verb (no to)

  • See you at Saturday morning!

    See you on Saturday morning!

    a day (+ morning): on

Try the making plans exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say what they do in their free time with the present simple: I relax on Sunday. We don't work on the weekend.
  • make suggestions with Let's and How about…? and reply to them: Let's watch the game! Great idea!
  • invite someone and say no politely: Can you come? Sorry, I can't.
  • use on for days, at for clock times and in the for parts of the day: on Saturday morning, at 11 a.m.
  • read a sports flyer for days, times, places and prices: Price for fans: free!

Lesson 31 of English A1.1 · Hello, World is the third lesson in Free time, the course's last unit. It builds on can from lessons 29 and 30, used here for what's possible rather than for skills, and on lesson 22, where on and at go with days and times; lesson 32 reviews the whole unit. A flyer with games at 9 and 11 a.m. gives every plan a real day and time to agree on.

Students spin a wheel of weekend questions, then learn ten words, from bat and coach to bleachers and relax, with pictures and audio. They read the Oak Hill Little League flyer and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. They hear two AI-voiced clips: Emma and Liam's weekend plans, and a radio minute on the Little League World Series. In the grammar chapter, the scheme comes first, then four exercises that check each answer, among them a drag-and-drop of on, at and in. In the speaking chapter, they plan Saturday with Jack in a chat and open boxes to plan a weekend in pairs.

Homework puts sentences in order and matches baseball and weekend words with their meanings, both self-checking. Students then write a message to a friend that plans the weekend and record the plan as a voice message, and the teacher reviews the message and the recording.

Grammar:
present simple (I, you, we, they) · can for plans · Let's · How about…? · on the weekend · on Saturday morning
Topic:
Little League · baseball · free time · the weekend · plans

Teaching tips

  • Contrast a routine with a plan on the board: I relax on Sunday versus We can meet at nine. Ask which one is about every week and which is about this week.
  • Point out the two meanings of free: the flyer's games are free for fans, and Jack asks Are you free on the weekend? Then ask students for one free thing to do on a Saturday.
  • Sort time phrases from students' own week into on, at and in columns on the board before the drag-and-drop.
  • Let real calendars drive the box game: pairs find a day and time that suit both of them, then tell the class: On Saturday morning, we…

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31 · you're hereSaturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

How do you talk about free time activities in English?
For free time activities, use the present simple and a day or a time: I relax on Sunday. We watch movies in the evening. They play baseball on Saturday morning. Ask with What do you do on the weekend? and make negatives with don't: I don't work on the weekend. Useful activities at this level are relax at home, watch baseball, play baseball, swim at the pool and watch movies.
How do you make weekend plans in English?
To plan a weekend, ask if they're free, suggest something, then set a time: Are you free on Saturday? Let's watch the game! How about eight thirty? Then confirm with See you on Saturday morning! In Are you free?, free means not busy; on a flyer, The games are free means they cost nothing.
How do you make suggestions in English?
The simplest way is Let's plus a verb, or How about…? with a time, a place or a thing: Let's watch the game! How about nine o'clock? We can meet at the café. Reply with Great idea! or OK!, or say no kindly: Sorry, I can't. How about Sunday? After Let's, the verb takes no to: Let's relax, not Let's to relax.
How do you use can when making plans?
When making plans, can says what's possible, not what someone is good at: We can meet at nine. Can you come on Sunday? Sorry, I can't. To turn an invitation down, add a new time so the plan stays alive. The A1 lesson Saturday morning: Little League on edio.ai uses these lines to plan a morning at a kids' baseball game in Brooklyn.
Is it "on the weekend" or "at the weekend"?
American English says on the weekend, just as it says on Saturday. At the weekend is British, and in the weekend is wrong in both: Let's relax on the weekend. See you on the weekend! For a habit, a plural day works the same way: We play baseball on Saturdays.
Is it "on Saturday morning" or "in Saturday morning"?
On Saturday morning is correct: the day takes on, and adding morning, afternoon or evening doesn't change it. In the is only for a part of the day on its own, as in in the morning, and clock times take at: at 11 a.m., See you at eight thirty!
What baseball words should beginners learn?
Start with words for the gear, the place and the people: bat and ball, field and bleachers, the long seats beside it, then team, coach and fan. The verbs hit, throw and run say what players do: Our players can hit, throw and run. Fans watch from the bleachers.
How do I teach making plans to beginners?
Give students a real event with days and times, so every plan has something to agree on. Saturday morning: Little League on edio.ai starts from a flyer with two Saturday games for kids, lets students hear two roommates plan their weekend, sets each question beside its replies in a scheme, and ends with a chat that settles on a time to meet.
What's a good game for practicing making plans?
Try a box game where each box holds a planning task: one asks for a suggestion, Let's watch a baseball game! How about…?, another for a polite no to a 6 a.m. meeting on Sunday, another for a weekend with no money. The speaking chapter of Saturday morning: Little League on edio.ai ends this way, and pairs then share their plan with the class.
How do you practice making plans one-to-one?
Plan a real weekend together: compare free times, suggest things to do, and settle on a time. In Saturday morning: Little League on edio.ai, the chat lets the student plan Saturday alone, message by message, and the box game's tasks, from Are you free on Sunday afternoon? to a polite Sorry, I can't. How about…?, become a back-and-forth between teacher and student.
What's good homework for practicing making plans?
A message that plans a weekend with a friend uses every phrase at once: Are you free on Saturday?, Let's…, How about eight thirty? Saying the same plan in a voice message adds speaking. The homework in Saturday morning: Little League on edio.ai sends both to the teacher, after two self-checking games: six sentences to put in order and baseball words like coach and bleachers to match with their meanings.
Are there interactive exercises for making plans?
Yes: gap-fills and chats that check each reply let learners practice plans and suggestions on their own. Four parts of Saturday morning: Little League, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, play on its page with no account: a flyer for kids' baseball, a dialogue about weekend plans, a gap-fill with Can you come? and Let's watch, and a chat that plans Saturday. Its radio minute, drag-and-drop and homework need an account.
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