Evolution is simple to understand.
First of all, there is element called Variation. Variation is illustrated in the differences between any 2 people. For example, one might have a longer nose, or might be taller, etc.. Even siblings have such variations.
Here's a practical example:
We can see Variation having been exploited in different breeds of domestic dogs. People created the domestic dog breeds. We created different hounds and terrier breeds. One day, we even took a greyhound for it's speed and bred it with a terrier - a dog bred for catching rats and mice - to make a whippet, so that we'd have a dog better at catching rabbits.
Another practical example is the miniature horse. We took male and female horses who were small and bred them together until eventually we had a pack animal of a size suitable for use in mining.
So, variation could just be those subtle differences found even in two very much alike creatures of the same type, where one might be a faster runner because of stronger legs, or it could be the variation seen when one sibling is much shorter than the other.
The other element in evolution is Natural Selection.
Now, I've already talked about Selection, a bit. But in the scenarios I've already given, people were responsible for making the selections. We Selected the variation of shortness found in some horses, to make miniature horses, for example. Well, the difference with Natural Selection, is that humans are not responsible for causing that sort of evolution. In Natural Selection, nature is responsible.
For one example to illustrate Natural Selection, we could use primates. Let's say we have one species of primate which has a specialized diet and another species of primate which is a jack of all trades when it comes to eating. Our specialist primate has a much stronger jaw and because of that can eat plants our jack of all trades primate can't. Our jack of all trades species of primate has to scavenge and hunt when it can't find suitable plants to eat. So, our specialist primate has a much easier life. until one day, the climate changes and we have a long drought. All the specialist primate's special plants die. All of our specialist primates die as a result.
Here we see nature making a selection between 2 different species. Let's now talk about Natural Selection within a same species.
Picking up where we left off, our jack of all trades primate lived through the drought because it's diet was diverse.
(Again, this is just one example.)
The jack of all trades species of primate obviously goes on living and breeding. However, years later, there's a long flood. In order to survive the flood, our jack of all trades primate needs to get to higher ground. In this case, it means he has to climb trees. But some of our jack of all trades primates - by variation - have shorter arms than the arms of others like it. The ones with the shorter arms can't swing through the branches of the trees as well and so they have a harder time finding dinner. As a result, the shorter armed jack of all trades primates die. That's a natural selection.
The longer armed jack of all trades primates go on breeding. The longer armed trait is carried on. Eventually, over a long time, a sort of reverse miniature horse effect goes on with their arms through that breeding, until they no longer very well resemble what the jack of all trades primates looked like before the flood. It took many generations, but they all have very long arms and are now experts at swinging in the trees and so they make their lives in the trees all the time now.
This could go on forever. For example, another tremendous drought could come along many generations down the road and kill lots of the trees they live in. Now the species has to take to the ground again. Which variations will be helpful this time?
This is called evolution.
-Variation and Natural Selection. It's that simple.
I also recommend watching this entire documentary for more explanation:
NOVA | What Darwin Never Knew | Season 36 | Episode 17 | PBS
So, I think almost everyone can understand evolution, it's just a matter of if they agree with it or not. If you don't agree with it, you should go and look at the evidence for it, I suppose. Watch the documentary above as a starting point.
We've even witnessed evolution taking place with viruses, as they mutate. It's just not reasonable to deny evolution any more. Maybe it was somewhat reasonable to deny evolution in the 1940s and earlier, but not any more.
Hope I was helpful.
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