By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Students in Christine Supinger's math classes don't use just pencil and paper to solve algebraic equations.

The Hopewell Junior School seventh-graders also use scales, colored dice and pawns (plastic game pieces) when trying to find the elusive "X" in both simple and complex math problems.

It is part of a hands-on philosophy that the award-winning Ms. Supinger has embraced and refined in her classroom since attending a 1993 workshop.

"I try to do a lot of hands-on activities," Ms. Supinger said Monday.

"I used to do basic (algebraic) equations, but they don't get it," she said. "It's too abstract except for some of the top kids."

Ms. Supinger recently was awarded the National Teacher Training Institute's Outstanding Teacher Award, sponsored by Think TV. And in 1999 the 18-year Lakota math veteran received the outstanding Secondary Mathematics Classroom Teacher Award for the Southwest District from the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Using blue and white pawns to represent positive and negative "X" and dice-like red and green cubes to represent negative and positive numbers, the students use scales to work out problems.

Even though Aron Siegel prefers to do many math problems in his head, he says using the cubes and pawns beats pencil and paper.

"I think they're easier," said Aron, 13. "You can visualize easier than you can on paper."

Classmate Sarah Pride, 12, also likes using the system, but says there is a minor downside.

"I sometimes forget which color are the negatives and which color are the positives,'' Sarah said.

"You do have to think more and use math."

When her class begins its study of percentages they will be using empty toilet paper rolls and beans.

"I'm one of those people that's brave enough - or silly enough - to try these kinds of things out," said Ms. Supinger. "I'm always looking for new things."