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Bend it, Stretch it, Hammer it, Break it: Materials Chemistry Applied Abstract Making chemistry both accessible and interesting to middle and high school students can be difficult. Convincing middle and high school teachers that they will learn something new and applicable from a professional development workshop in chemistry can be equally challenging. This paper describes the use of material science as a means to enhance interest in basic chemical concepts. By making use of familiar materials, it seeks to reveal the applicability of chemistry to everyday life. Metals, semiconductors, and polymers were the materials at the heart of this course for secondary level teachers. Properties of these materials were investigated in hands-on activities and firmly connected to the bonding type and structure in each material through interactive discussion. The course itself will be described, and a few of the activities will be high-lighted. Teachers’ responses to daily surveys and final evaluations will also be discussed, and future directions will be addressed. Introduction As the study of matter, its properties, and its reactions, chemistry plays an integral role in every aspect of every life. However, chemistry can be a complex and abstract subject, and students often struggle with learning it. Research into misconceptions and problem solving in chemistry illuminates this difficulty (Bodner, 1991; Kind, 2004; Nakleh, 1992). The struggle with chemistry extends beyond the students to the teachers of chemistry – teaching an abstract, complex subject, and making it accessible, relevant and applicable to students, is challenging (Gabel, 1999).The authors know this from experience in teaching introductory chemistry to college students and hear this anecdotally from colleagues teaching in middle and high schools.teachers’ attitudes toward teaching chemistry can be just as critical to student success as their knowledge of the subject. “In all education,especially science, the t