If I have learned anything in my career, it is that true understanding takes time. Students have to develop a rhythm of predicting, exploring, and reflecting on how new information affects their current understanding. A co-participant in this quest, I work with students to help them become aware of and be able to verbalize how they understand any given concept. Here are some thoughts along the way. Air only has pressure when it's moving.
Some students have a tough time understanding the concept of air pressure.
They are confused by how something invisible can be constantly pressing on them. A complete understanding of flight is difficult for these thinkers. Air has no weight. While most middle-level learners realize that air is a substance, many do not think of it as having weight. Understanding that air has weight is the key to understanding ambient air pressure.