Final answer:
Assimilation in social studies describes when a minority group adopts the behaviors and beliefs of a dominant group. It is distinct from pluralism, represented by the salad bowl metaphor, where cultural distinctiveness is maintained. Examples of the accommodation pattern of assimilation involve modification of cultural practices to align with the majority while maintaining some original traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of assimilation in social studies refers to a pattern where a minority group or culture comes to resemble a dominant group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group. A clear example of accommodation pattern of assimilation would involve a minority group modifying their cultural practices to align more closely with those of the majority culture while maintaining some of their original cultural traits.
When discussing examples such as the Jewish people in Germany historically, or Creoles in New Orleans, these are instances that deal more with how a numerical majority might be treated as a subordinate group rather than being examples of accommodation in assimilation. The salad bowl metaphor represents a different intergroup relationship known as pluralism, where different cultures in a society maintain their distinctiveness.
In contrast, assimilation would entail less retention of original cultural identities as the group integrates into the dominant culture. As for the other subjects mentioned, such as spelling patterns in English, they represent a form of linguistic assimilation.