It is a relatively simple exercise, but nevertheless it forces you to search for one kind of historical information that all historians use and write.
History involves a lot of detective work, and there are many different kinds of historical writing.
Go to the Todd Library and find an article in a historical journal. Just because an article appears in one of these journals does not necessarily mean it will fit this assignment. Ask if you are not sure. Once you have found the article, take note of the title, author, and other publication information. Read the first few pages, enough to get an idea of what the article is about and what conclusions the author presents.