rs1485:
Thank you very much for asking something that is answered in the original post.
You're quite welcome.
It was less about asking, as more about confirming your situation. You never explicitly said that using the libraries was forbidden for this class project. You simply stated that they weren't available.
I wanted to be certain that you had these rules to follow, and that you weren't misunderstanding the Arduino platform.
As for helping you, the answers really are in the source and datasheet.
The goal of any class project is to understand something that you yet do not (as is the point of all education). The fine folks here will certainly be happy to help you with specific problems as they arise, but they won't (and shouldn't) do your school work for you.
Read the docs. Work the problem. Test your ideas. Give examples of your failures. Provide theories about why perhaps things didn't work. Seek advice. Rinse. Repeat until success. Profit. Welcome to engineering.
Best of luck in your endeavor.
-Chris