KIDS TRY HISTORY ON FOR SIZE.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

Ten-year-old Kennedy Kimbell could have buried his head in history books, stuffed scads of information on Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes into his school report and turned in his project without a second thought.

But Kennedy's fifth-grade teachers at the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies wouldn't let him off the hook that easily.

Trying to make history lessons fun so students can absorb and retain what they learn, the school created its first annual American History Living Museum, with students decked out in costumes portraying an array of historical figures.

On Monday morning, Kennedy didn't show up in his usual school clothes. He came nattily dressed as a 16th century explorer, complete with a ruffled blouse donated by his mother, a grayish wig from his great-grandmother and a top hat he found in his closet.

``I'm famous for taking over the Aztec empire in Tenochtitlan in what is now Mexico City,'' Kennedy bellowed, performing the part of Cortes as if he were trying for an Oscar.

The museum was set up in the school's Glenn Hall auditorium where 200 fifth-grade pupils transformed themselves into historical figures ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Beecher Stowe to Neil Armstrong and Thomas Jefferson.

The goal of the six teachers who created the museum was to take a new approach to teaching history, having the youngsters learn by living it.

``They internalize it more, it's not just regurgitating what they read in a book,'' said Steve Brooks, one of the fifth-grade English-language arts teachers who helped create the project.

Since the museum was open to the rest of the school, the students worked extra hard to memorize their parts, said their teachers.

The Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, the largest magnet school in the Los Angeles Unified School district, has 1,770 students in grades 4-12.

``For a teacher, the students perform well, but when it's their peers there's a little bit more pressure,'' said Elsa Thatcher, an English-language arts teacher. ``It's really exciting to see the electricity that's coming out of the students.''

Decorated with dozens of hand-painted posters of historical figures the class had made, the auditorium was abuzz with students eager to show off their knowledge.

``Did you know that I was the first president to wear long pants at a presidential inauguration,'' said 10-year-old Maria Garaniel, who was historically convincing as John Adams with knickers and white tights.

The students said they enjoyed the project because they learned by portraying the characters.

``Sometimes history is boring, sometimes it's fun,'' said 10-year-old Lindsay Gross, who portrayed Christopher Columbus. ``This time it was fun because you get to dress up as the person.''

The project, which was 10 weeks in the making, also involved parents who helped their children create their costumes, said Thatcher.

Calling the museum a success, social studies teacher Evelyn Brown said the project essentially planted a seed for further growth.

``I imagine these students will remember this speech for the rest of their lives,'' said Brown. ``They'll wake up at age 50 and still have that speech memorized.''

The other teachers who helped create the museum are social studies teacher Eleanor Kravitz and English-language arts teachers Craig Matsubayashi and Shaheda Shaikh.

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Photo: Casey Lilenfeld, left, and Jeremy Ball dressed as historical figures for the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies' living museum Monday.

Evan Yee/Daily News