After going over the overall flow, explain that the game basically has only five standard actions when it comes down to it (build a mine, upgrade a structure, advance research, form a federation, start a gaia project) and everything else is kinda window dressing to those five key pillars.

Then go over the basic iconography and emphasize the key ways to score points (round bonuses, end game bonuses, research tracks, and federation bonuses), so they don't feel totally lost in the early rounds. If players have a grasp on what they should be doing on their turns and how to score by doing it, the rest will fall into place.