Lesson Title: The Perfect Weekend for Four

Lesson Overview:

• Target Audience: CEFR B1 Japanese Adults (Middle-aged/Older), Mixed returning/new.
• Time: 90 minutes
• Topic: Planning a Weekend Trip
• Main Goal: To enable students to collaboratively plan a weekend itinerary for two couples, negotiating preferences and justifying choices within a set budget, using appropriate B1-level vocabulary and phrases.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Make and respond to suggestions about planning a trip.
• Negotiate and compromise on activities and costs to create a shared plan.
• Use target vocabulary related to planning, leisure, and budgeting in a conversation.
• Present a simple, co-created itinerary to another pair.

Target Language:

• Focus: Phrases for making suggestions, negotiating, and vocabulary for planning.
• Phrases/Vocabulary: (Focus on expanding B1 active vocabulary)
  • itinerary (n.): A detailed plan or route of a journey.
  • budget (n.): The amount of money you have available to spend.
  • reasonable (adj.): Fair and sensible; not too expensive.
  • scenic (adj.): Having beautiful natural scenery.
  • admission fee (n.): The price you pay to enter a place like a museum or park.
  • Phrases: “How about we…?”, “What if we considered…?”, “That’s a good point, but what about the cost?”, “I think [my spouse] would prefer…”, “Let’s compromise and agree on…”

Materials:

• Whiteboard & Markers
• Projector & Computer
• Obsidian Slides (see outline below)
• Handouts: “Weekend Planning Sheet” (one per pair)
• Small pieces of paper & pens for Exit Tickets

Lesson Procedure:

1. Getting Started (Warm-up) (10 minutes):

• Purpose: To activate students’ prior knowledge and get them thinking about weekend activities.
• Activity: Pair Chat
  1. Display the warm-up questions on a slide:
     • What is one thing that makes a weekend “perfect” for you?
     • Do you prefer relaxing weekends or exciting weekends? Why?
  2. Put students in pairs and give them 5-7 minutes to discuss the questions.
  3. Briefly ask a few students to share one interesting thing their partner said.
• CCQs: “Are you talking about your weekday or your weekend?” (Weekend), “Should you share your own idea or your partner’s idea?” (Your partner’s idea).

2. Introducing the Topic/Language Focus (10 minutes):

• Purpose: To introduce the main lesson task and present the target B1 vocabulary and phrases.
• Activity: Introduction & Vocabulary Preview
  1. Explain the main goal: “Today, we are going to plan a perfect one-day weekend trip for four people: you, your spouse, your partner today, and their spouse.”
  2. Use the Obsidian slides to introduce the 5 key vocabulary words (itinerary, budget, reasonable, scenic, admission fee). For each word, show the word, then the definition and a clear example sentence.
  3. Introduce the “Useful Phrases for Planning” and do a quick choral drill to practice pronunciation.
• CCQs: “How many people are we planning for?” (Four), “What is an ‘itinerary’?” (A plan for a trip), “When do we use the word ‘reasonable’?” (When the price is good/fair).

3. Let’s Talk! (Main Activities) (55 minutes):

• Purpose: To provide extended, structured practice in a collaborative and communicative task.
• Activity 1: The Planning Session (35 minutes)
  1. Divide students into pairs.
  2. Give each pair a “Weekend Planning Sheet” handout. Each sheet will have a pre-assigned Theme (e.g., “A Relaxing Day,” “An Exciting Day,” or “A Cultural Day”) and a total Budget (e.g., ¥40,000 for four people).
  3. Instructions: “With your partner, you have 30 minutes to create a one-day itinerary for Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. You must stay within your budget and follow your theme. Remember to think about what your spouses would enjoy! Write your final itinerary on your handout.”
  4. Project a timer on the screen to help them manage their time.
  5. Circulate to monitor, offer help with vocabulary, and encourage negotiation.
• CCQs: “What is your pair’s theme?” (Students point to it), “What is your total budget?” (¥40,000), “Who do you need to think about when planning?” (Our spouses too).
• Activity 2: Sharing the Plans (20 minutes)
  1. Combine two pairs to form a group of four.
  2. Instructions: “Now, take turns presenting your perfect weekend plan to the other pair. You have about 5 minutes each. The listening pair, please think of one or two follow-up questions to ask about their plan.”
  3. After both pairs have presented, give them a final discussion question: “Which of the two trips would you prefer to go on, and why?”
• CCQs: “Are you working in pairs or groups of four?” (Groups of four), “What should the listeners do?” (Ask questions), “How much time does each pair have to present?” (About 5 minutes).

4. Wrapping Up (Review & Feedback) (15 minutes):

• Purpose: Consolidate learning, apply delayed error correction, and gather feedback.
• Activities:
  1. Lesson Recap/Sharing Highlights (5 mins): Ask each group to share one great idea they heard from the other pair in their group. This promotes active listening and positive feedback.
  2. Error Correction Slot (5 mins): On the whiteboard, write 3-4 sentences you heard that contained common errors (especially related to the target language). Ask the class to work together to correct them.
  3. Final Q&A (2 mins): Ask if there are any final questions about the vocabulary or phrases.
  4. Exit Ticket (3 mins): Distribute the paper slips for the Exit Ticket questions.

Instructor Guidance & Notes:

• Error Correction Strategy: During the planning activity, jot down common B1-level errors related to suggestions, conditionals, or vocabulary. Focus on these during the correction slot.
• Cultural Sensitivity: The “spouse” concept is inclusive. Remind students it’s okay to imagine a spouse’s preferences if they are unsure. The focus is on the act of considering another person.
• Flexibility: Keep a close eye on the time, especially during the 35-minute planning phase. If most groups are finishing early, you can move on. If they are deeply engaged, give them a couple of extra minutes but be firm about the stop time to protect the sharing and wrap-up stages.
• Differentiation: For stronger students, encourage them to add more detail and justify their choices more deeply. For students needing more support, encourage them to lean on the “Useful Phrases” on their handout. Speaking slowly and clearly is key for lower-level students.

Suggested Supporting Materials Content:

Handout Content: “Weekend Planning Sheet”

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The Perfect Weekend for Four

Your Task: Plan a fantastic one-day (Saturday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM) itinerary for two couples (you, your partner, and your spouses).

Your Theme: [Instructor writes one: A Relaxing Day / An Exciting Day / A Cultural Day]

Your Total Budget: ¥40,000 (for all four people)

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Useful Phrases for Planning:

• Making Suggestions: How about we…? / What if we go to…? / I think we should…
• Agreeing: That’s a great idea! / I agree. / Sounds perfect.
• Disagreeing/Negotiating: That’s interesting, but what about the cost? / I’m not sure if my spouse would enjoy that. / Maybe we could… instead? / Let’s compromise.

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Our Itinerary:

Time	Activity / Place	Estimated Cost
10:00 AM
12:00 PM	Lunch at:
2:00 PM
5:00 PM
7:00 PM	Dinner at:
Total:		¥

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Exit Ticket Questions (For Paper Handout):

1. What part of today’s lesson did you enjoy the most?
2. Was today’s lesson: (Circle one) Too Difficult / Just Right / Too Easy ?
3. Was the vocabulary: (Circle one) Too Difficult / Just Right / Too Easy ?
4. Any other comments or suggestions for future lessons? (Optional: Write in English or Japanese)