Τhe broad aim of project Materials Science is to find ways of enhancing secondary students? understanding of scientific inquiry and increasing their interest in science and technology. The group at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki focuses on developing and investigating an innovative teaching learning sequence (TLS) on the thermal properties of materials, with specific emphasis on thermal conductivity, for the lower grades of secondary school. The group consists of active secondary teachers, university researchers, school teachers and teachers- researchers who follow an iterative cycle of research and development aiming at adapting the teaching content to students? conceptions and reasoning. In this poster, we outline essential features. An extensive use of ICT-based tools as well as hands on experiments are employed in order to facilitate the enhancement of students' understanding of the concepts and of the underlying mechanisms, including virtual laboratories and specially developed parametric simulations of microscopic models οn heat conduction. Design features as well as the structure of the sequence will be outlined in the presentation.