Welcome to FameCity.org, an educational social network for inquiry-based biographical research. On this site, students create profiles for famous historical figures as part of a biography research project. But this is just the first step. Next, students have to interact within a social network as their historical figure. They post status updates, share pictures, comment on other profiles, and even friend other historical figures. This requires a much higher level of understanding about the historical figure than a simple biography. Rather than just finding facts and regurgitating them, students must synthesize information and empathize with their figure.
Jill Feine, librarian at John Kennedy Elementary School in Batavia, New York wanted students to become more engaged in the inquiry process surrounding biographical research by having them create profiles for famous figures in a Facebook-like environment. Her problem was finding a tool that she could use with her fifth grade students. 
In response, the School Library System of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership created FameCity.org, an educational social network where students bring biographies to life.