If you've never done any Python before, first be assured that the assignment to "learn Python" isn't as bad as it sounds: for someone who knows how to program, picking up enough Python to get started is very easy. There exist plenty of Python tutorials out there. Here's a sampling (I don't know all of these, so I can't vouch for them or give unequivocal recommendations).
Note that we're using Python 3 in this course.
The official Python tutorial: https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/.
A site for learning Python: https://www.learnpython.org/.
If you like books, Chapter 2 of Data Science from Scrach: First Principles with Python is "A Crash Course in Python". Find a copy in the lab or CSCI student lounge. (Please do not remove that copy from the lab/student lounge.)
A short everything-by-example tutorial that is better for people who already know how to program (thanks to Blake Hensel for bringing this to my attention).: https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/python/
A tutorial that advertises itself as specifically being for people who know Java: http://python4java.necaiseweb.org/Main/TableOfContents
If you know of a Python tutorial that you think your classmates would find useful, let me know and I can add it to this list.