Many of the Marshall teachers develop projects that have real-world application. Mr. Goldenberg, a math teacher, developed an interdisciplinary unit for his team called "Real World." In this unit, one day of real time equals a week of simulated time in which students work, pay bills, balance their bank accounts, plan their budgets, and do all the things that adults must do in daily life. The students live in these simulated circumstances for three weeks of school time.

The unit starts with students thinking about professions they are interested in pursuing. They spend some time with their language arts teachers, writing their resumes and drafting cover letters. They learn interviewing and phone skills, how to fill out credit applications, and how to set up an appointment for an interview. In reading class, they learn how to look for a job and an apartment in the newspaper and how to read a simple contract and application. In social studies, they learn about civic responsibility, voting, government and law, prison, and career counseling. In math, they learn how to estimate and figure costs, pay bills, plan a budget, and balance a checkbook.

All the teachers, including the exploratory teachers, help the students define career goals and approximate salary ranges. They also conduct mock job interviews. If a student wants to be a professional basketball player but has only average basketball skills, the gym teacher will provide some guidance, talking frankly to the student about his or her chances of becoming a pro ball player and guiding the student toward becoming a coach, teacher, or sports writer. As a culminating activity, students choose "living partners" and "living situations," and begin to develop patterns of earning money and paying bills. They have to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, including a balanced checkbook, and write a culminating paper reflecting their personal experiences during the unit. Mr. Goldenberg reports that many students have come back to him over the years and thanked him for doing this activity.

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