You can use it to assign topics that students can write about, etc. Students can also illustrate each event to make it colorful and stimulating. Ask students what they learned about the author, experiences, life events, locations, etc. Ask them to defend the authenticity of the autobigrahical information that was presented in the book. An assignment can be that the students write their own factual autobiography.
Examples can include dishes, clothing, photos, diaries, letters, magazines, etc.
The students can then interview the family member who owns the object and inquire about who owned it first, how it was used, the time period that it represents, any historical significance that it may have. Students can also draw the object and tell about any unusual qualities about the memorabilia and discuss it in small groups, etc. Students can also do this with any local antique dealers in the area as well as get information on antiques on the Internet. Check to see if your school has such a file that you can build on. Continue to up date your file through the year.