ENG 101 Prep — The Thesis Statement & MLA Citation

Name: Date: Video watched:

How to use this worksheet. This worksheet introduces two major ENG 101 concepts — the Thesis Statement (the big idea) and MLA Citation (giving credit). You will watch a short video or documentary and turn it into the start of a college essay.

Work through the Parts in order. Answer the numbered questions first, then use the sentence frames in each blue box to build full paragraphs.
Every part has a Clarify hint. Try the part first; read the hint only if you get stuck. It gives you a strategy, never the words to copy.
In college writing you do not just list facts — you make an argument and then prove it with evidence.

PART 1

The Thesis Statement (The Introduction)

In college writing you can't just list facts — you need a Thesis that tells the reader what the video is trying to prove.

1.Title of the Video:

2.The Topic (the general subject? e.g., Ocean Life, History of Gaming, Mental Health):

3.The Thesis (the Big Argument) — finish this sentence to create your thesis: "The main message the filmmaker wants to prove is that…"

Example: Topic "Pollution" → Opinion "It is bad" → Thesis "Pollution is bad because…"

Clarify — A thesis is an argument you can prove, not just a topic. "Ocean Life" is a topic; "Ocean life is in danger because of plastic" is a thesis. It usually has the word because in it.

PART 2

The Rules (MLA Citation)

At the end of a college paper you list your sources in a Works Cited so the reader knows where your information came from. Every source gets one line, in a set order.

Format: "Title of Video." Name of Website, Uploaded by (Creator Name), Day Month Year, URL.

4.Your MLA Citation — fill in the blanks below:

📚 Works Cited entry — copy the format and fill each blank.

"." (Title of Video) YouTube, uploaded by , (Channel / Creator Name) , (Date posted) . (URL / Website Link)

Clarify — Copy the punctuation exactly — MLA is picky. Notice where the periods, commas, and quotation marks go. Tip: if the URL is very long, you can use a short link or just the main website name.

PART 3

Gathering Evidence (The Body)

You have a Thesis — now find the evidence to prove it. Write 3 specific facts, quotes, or scenes, and for each one explain how it proves your thesis.

5.Evidence #1 (First Point) — one specific fact or example the video showed: How does it prove your thesis?

6.Evidence #2 (Second Point) — another fact, statistic, or interview quote: How does it prove your thesis?

7.Evidence #3 (Third Point) — the strongest piece of proof: How does it prove your thesis?

Clarify — For each piece of evidence, always answer the question "so what? how does this prove my point?" A fact by itself is not enough — you have to connect it back to your thesis.

PART 4

The Essay Draft (Putting it Together)

Now turn your answers into an essay. Use the academic transition words in bold to connect your ideas into a smooth draft.

📝 Paragraph 1 (Setup)

"Today, I watched a documentary titled . The main message (thesis) of this film was (answer #3) ."

📝 Paragraph 2 (Point 1)

"For example, the video showed (evidence #1) ."

📝 Paragraph 3 (Point 2)

"Furthermore, I learned that (evidence #2) ."

📝 Paragraph 4 (Point 3)

"Finally, the most important proof was (evidence #3) ."

📝 Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

"In conclusion, this video is important because it teaches us that (restate your thesis in new words) . Works Cited: (copy answer #4 here) ."

Clarify — You already wrote the pieces above — now just connect them with the transition words in bold (For example, Furthermore, Finally, In conclusion). Do not start from scratch; you are assembling, not inventing.

💡 Tips for You: Sounding Like a College Writer

The "because" rule. A thesis is not a fact — it is a claim you can argue. If someone could disagree with it, it is a real thesis.
Prove every point. After each piece of evidence, ask "so what?" and answer it. That sentence is what earns the grade.
MLA is about matching. You do not have to memorize it — just copy the format line exactly, including every period and comma.

Reflection

Which was harder — writing the thesis or finding evidence to prove it? What is one thing about MLA citation you want to remember for your next essay?

FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER

Mentor Guide

How to teach thesis writing and MLA citation together with your student

1. What this worksheet builds

Two core ENG 101 skills. First, a thesis is a provable argument, not a topic — "Pollution" is a topic, "Pollution is bad because…" is a thesis. Second, every piece of evidence must connect back to the thesis (the "so what?" move). Third, the basics of MLA citation — order and punctuation matter more than memorization. The goal is a complete, organized draft with one cited source.

2. Run it with gradual release: I do → we do → you do

I do: Watch the first minutes together and think out loud as you name the topic, then turn it into a thesis with "because."
We do: Build the MLA citation in Part 2 side by side, pointing at the format line as you place each comma and period.
You do: Let the student gather the three pieces of evidence in Part 3 on their own, stepping in only at a Clarify hint.

3. Using the Clarify hints

Let the student attempt each part first; read the Clarify box only if they stall. The hints coach strategy ("a thesis has because," "MLA is picky," "answer so what?"), never the content. Over time, ask the student to say the hint back to you before reading it — that is the skill becoming their own.

4. Supporting the writing

Accept an oral thesis first — let them say the argument out loud, then help refine it into one clean sentence.
Offer the sentence starters in the draft boxes; the transition words (For example, Furthermore, Finally) remove the blank-page freeze.
Do not correct spelling mid-draft. Capture the ideas and the argument now; polish in a second pass so momentum isn't lost.

5. Reviewing it together

Check that each piece of evidence connects back to the thesis — ask "so what?" for each one and make sure the answer is written down.
Check the MLA punctuation against the format line — quotation marks around the title, the periods and commas in order, website name in italics.
Compare the work to the student's own earlier writing, not anyone else's. Progress is the measure.