You identify the data and then you can find patterns if they exist. You can also document the existence of the pattern by carefully recording the data. If you don't do this it is harder to come to those insights. This assignment is to show you how to do this, it is not just a matter of finding the correct answers to the questions. The data in the books can provide a number of insights but you won't get them if you don't know how to find the data that provides them.
Real life is quite complicated, complex and often understanding is hidden in small details.
Collectives lead to concepts and patterns lead to theories. We have been talking about not only theory and ideology , which the unit on the Holocaust provides a good opportunity to analyze but also about data collection and the issues around getting good data to analyze. This is the problem Artie faces in trying to tell his father's life. So there wasn't much matereial then to help him understand what his father experienced or what actually happened. The Nazi's did the best they could to hide the reality.