Stages
Think of the task you are going to teach as a book; the stages are like the chapters.
Chapter headings are one or two words which give an idea of content. This is just what stages do. They indicate content of a part of the job. They briefly describe what is done (not how it is done).
In order to determine the stages, you must actually carry out the task, not in your head, but physically do it. This ensures no vital details are omitted or errors made. While doing the task, write down the sequence of operations – what you are doing (not how you are doing it). These sequences can then be grouped into five to seven stages (if more stages are required, break the task in half and teach each half as a separate unit – for even longer tasks, several units of instruction will be required).
Each stage represents a significant progression of the task toward its completion