Encourage them to describe their feelings of what life is like, get them to become imaginative. Share these with the class and contrast them with first-hand accounts. Brainstorm a list of interview questions. You will be surprised by some of the answers. Share the interviews.
Students are to bring in artifacts.
Make the students responsible for the unit test. Have everyone write three multiple choice questions and an essay question. Pick the best questions for the unit test. You will be surprised by the enthusiasm the students will have for this unit. Every year I have dozens of parents tell me that this has opened up communication between them and their child.