Barry Schiff had an article about 15 yrs ago that explained it pretty well to the non-math major and yet included all the relevant scientific principles. It was also later bundled with other articles and put into one of his books. I will dig it up if you're interested.
As I primarily instructed in part 61 schools my entire life and not a university environment, my students were housewives, auto workers, fire men, business owners, etc. The vast majority were not interested in becoming professional pilots and hence, each required a unique approach to the science behind flight. The Schiff article worked well for the masses. I've always had the student that wanted more; however, I've also had the student that was not so scientifically inclined.